Bel Canto Chorus Kicks Off Second Half of Season with Diverse Choral Works Accompanied by Strings

MILWAUKEE, WI (February 8, 2018)—Bel Canto Chorus continues its 87^th season with Voices & Strings on Sunday, March 11 at St. Monica Parish in Whitefish Bay. The concert will feature the original sounds of two emerging composers as well as a composition many consider to be the most popular of all 20^th-century orchestral works. Music by noted British and American composer Tarik O’Regan, and well-established Swedish composer Fredrik Sixten, will be sung along with a unique version of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Jason Coffey (baritone) and Avery Boettcher (soprano) will appear as soloists in the concert.

Although most Bel Canto Chorus concerts highlight the chorus unaccompanied or alongside a small ensemble, Voices & Strings will feature the choir joined by a 25-piece string orchestra. The concert will also explore the theme of redemption through the radically different compositional styles of the three pieces featured in the program.

Triptych, the first piece on the program, is by composer Tarik O’Regan. This work is-scored for soprano solo, mixed chorus, and string orchestra. It was written as a reaction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the desperate need for peace. O’Regan has chosen diverse texts with a purpose to convey his personal belief in the inherent unity at the heart of all faiths and philosophies – PEACE. Next on the program is a unique performance of Samuel Barber’s work, Adagio for Strings. Combining the choral sound with the string orchestra will be a highlight of the concert. The slow, haunting piece has long been associated with mourning, nostalgia, love, and passion.

The second half of the concert features Swedish composer Fredrik Sixten‘s Requiem. This work is written for soprano solo (Avery Boettcher), baritone solo (Jason Coffey), chorus, and orchestra. Music director Richard Hynson is excited to perform this piece, stating: “The Requiem is an especially powerful and important work. Its depth, scope, and emotional range are stunning.” Although Sixten used Swedish poems especially written for this work in combination with the classical texts from the Latin Requiem Mass, Bel Canto will sing them in English to make the piece more accessible to the audience.

Tickets:

Individual tickets are on sale now for $29.50 and $35; student and senior discounts available starting at $19. Purchase online at www.belcanto.org or by phone at 414-481-8801.