Chorus pro Musica & Conductor Jamie Kirsch Launch 66th Season

BOSTON - Oct. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- Boston, MA--Boston's historic Chorus pro Musica, conducted by Jamie Kirsch, will begin its 66th season on Sunday, November 2 at 3 pm, at Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, in Boston's historic Copley Square. The opening concert will be highlighted by Carol Barnett's The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass for chorus, soloists and a stellar bluegrass band featuring fiddle-player John Mailander, who has performed with renowned artists such as Alison Brown and Victor Wooten, mandolinist Steve Roy, whose credits include performances with Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum and Hit and Run Bluegrass; banjoist Rich Stillman, who has been a pillar of the bluegrass and banjo communities in Boston for many years; guitarist Jordan Tice, who tours nationally and has been featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and bassist Amanda Kowalski, who was an original member of Boston's highly-regarded bluegrass band, Della Mae, until 2012.

In addition, this concert will include a World Premiere, commissioned by Chorus pro Musica and composed by Winchester, Massachusetts native Stephen Feigenbaum. His piece, Little Prayers, is written in three short parts, each one of which is a short meditation--a modernized twist on a religious hymn. While Stephen has written many classical choral works before, this one is the first incorporating a text that he wrote himself, making it one of his most personal compositions while also being one of his most universal in subject matter.

In addition to the world premiere, Chorus pro Musica will present a New England premierebyDominick DiOrio.  TitledAt A Solemn Music, this choral piece will be accompanied by Robert Schulz, chimes and Terry Halco, organ. Other compositions included in this eclectic and interesting program are:  Aaron Copland's  At The River, Moses Hogan's Ezekiel Saw de Wheel, C.A. Pinto Fonseca's Jubiabá, Mack Wilberg's Cindy andHarry T. Burleigh's My Lord, What a Morning.

Holiday Celebrations:

Chorus pro Musica's season will continue in December with a new musical event this year, a Family Holiday Concert featuring the Boston City Singers, directed by Jane Money.  This concert will take place at Old South Church on Sunday, December 14 at 3 pm and it will feature festive carols and modern and traditional holiday favorites for families. Conductor Jamie Kirsch will invite the audience to participate on some selections.

Chorus pro Musica's annual Candlelight Christmas at Old South takes place this year on Friday, December 19 at 8 pm at Old South Church. The holiday program will feature the chorus's annual candlelight procession, Bala Brass with Seelan Manickam, trumpet, James Ackley, trumpet, John Bottomley, tuba, Kristen Slenklewicz, French horn and Martin Wittenberg, trombone and a world premiere of The Tryal and Examination of Old Father Christmas, a newly commissioned work by composer James Kallembach.

"Boston's Chorus Pro Musica, under the baton of new artistic director Jamie Kirsch, recently commissioned a new work for their 2014-15 season for December 19th at Old South Church, Boston. I am honored to write for this stellar choir with a great history under talented new leadership," states Kallembach on his website.

Other pieces on this colorful holiday program include Morton Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium, Andrew Thomas's The Virgin Mary had a baby boy andselections fromJohann Sebastian Bach's B minor Mass.

A Spring Wedding:

On Saturday, May 30 at 8 pm, Chorus pro Musica will present Stravinsky's Les Noces at Jordan Hall.  Les Noces, written for chorus, soloists, four pianos and percussion, is a spellbinding, rhythmic piece about a folk wedding. This concert will be superbly enhanced by four modern dancers from BoSoma Dance Company, as choreographed by Katherine Hooper and Irada Djelassi. BoSoma, a contemporary dance company that combines vibrant, energetic movement with athletic performance quality, will spotlight dancers Tony Tucker, Stephanie Bolsvery, Rachel McKeon and Whitney Renfroe.

Full Season Listing:

Sunday, November 2, 2014, 3:00 PM
Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, Boston
Carol Barnett: The World Beloved:  A Bluegrass Mass
John Mailander, fiddle
Steve Roy, mandolin
Rich Stillman, banjo
Jordan Tice, guitar
Amanda Kowalski, bass

Chorus pro Musica Commissioned World Premiere:
Stephen Feigenbaum:  Little Prayers
Aaron Copland:  At The River
Moses Hogan: Ezekiel Saw de Wheel
C.A. Pinto Fonseca:  Jubiabá
Mack Wilberg:  Cindy
Dominick DiOrio:  At A Solemn Music, New England Premiere
Robert Schulz, chimes
Terry Halco, organ
Harry T. Burleigh:  My Lord, What a Morning

Two Holiday Celebrations:
Sunday, December 14, 3:00 PM

Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, Boston
Family Holiday Concert with the Boston City Singers
Festive carols and modern and traditional holiday favorites for families
Friday, December 19, 8:00 PM
Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, Boston

Candlelight Christmas at Old South
Chorus pro Musica Commissioned World Premiere:
James Kallembach: The Tryal and Examination of Old Father Christmas
Morton Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysteriam
Andrew Thomas: The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy
Johann Sebastian Bach: B minor Mass [selections]
With Bala Brass:
Seelan Manickam, trumpet
James Ackley, trumpet
John Bottomley, tuba
Kristen Slenklewicz, French horn
Martin Wittenberg, trombone

Spring Wedding:
Saturday, May 30, 2014, 8:00 PM
Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston
Stravinsky:  Les Noces
Thomas Stumpf, piano
John McDonald, piano
Hisako Hiratsuka, piano
Natsuki Hiratsuka, piano
percussion, TBA
Lynn Eustis, soprano
mezzo-soprano, TBA
tenor, TBA
bass, TBA
BoSoma Dance Company, featuring Tony Tucker, Stephanie Bolsvery, Rachel McKeon, Whitney Renfroe; choreography by Katherine Hooper and Irada Djelassi

Season subscriptions [including a concert with New England Philharmonic on Sunday, March 1] are on sale now from $69 to $204.  Please go to www.choruspromusica.org for full information.

Single Concert tickets for all performances are on sale now and are $25, $35 and $45 for Old South Church events and for the performance at Jordan Hall concert (May 30) they are $27, $42 and $57 with discounts available on selected seats for groups, students, seniors and WGBH members.  Reserved seats may be selected and tickets purchased at www.choruspromusica.org, or by phone (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) at 800-658-4CPM (800-658-4276).  For wheelchair-accessible seats, call 617-267-7442.  For more information, please take a look at www.choruspromusica.org.