Chichester Psalms will feature guest
soloist Nathaniel Johnson. Nathaniel is a
5th grader and a member of the Britten Boy's
Choir of the Madison Youth Choirs. He was
a recent soloist for University of Wisconsin
Choral Union's production of
Mendelssohn's Elijah and was a recent
soloist for Festival Choir of Madison.
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The Wisconsin Chamber Choir will present a
concert entitled “Bernstein and Friends”
featuring Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester
Psalms, on Sunday, June 3 at 3:00 pm at
First United Methodist Church, 203 Wisconsin
Avenue, in downtown Madison. Also on the program
is the world premiere of The God of Glory
by Virginia composer Judith Shatin, along with
works by composers whom Bernstein championed as
a conductor, including music of Copland,
Beethoven, Schumann, and Ives.
Bernstein composed Chichester Psalms in
1965 while on sabbatical from his conducting
post with the New York Philharmonic. Working on
commission from Chichester Cathedral in England,
Bernstein used the original Hebrew texts of six
different psalms, and the resulting music has a
distinctly popular flair that recalls the style
of West Side Story. The WCC’s performance
will feature boy soprano Nathaniel Johnson,
harpist Karen Atz, organist Theodore Reinke, and
percussionist Tobie Wilkinson.
Other Bernstein works on the program include
selections from the musical theatre work Mass,
and a rarely heard early work, Hashkiveinu,
a setting of a prayer from the Jewish Sabbath
evening service.
In the spirit of Bernstein’s own advocacy on
behalf of younger composers, the WCC is proud to
present the world premiere of The God of
Glory by Judith Shatin, Professor of
Composition at the University of Virginia and
Director of the Virginia Center for Computer
Music. In The Glory of God, Shatin
translates Psalm 29, and explains that her music
“was inspired by the strength of the poetry, and
seeks to sonically amplify its images.”
Rounding out the program are works by composers
closely associated with Bernstein’s career. His
lifelong friend Aaron Copland is represented by
selections from Copland’s Old American Songs in
choral arrangements both old and new. Romantic
choral works by Beethoven and Schumann pay
tribute to Bernstein’s passionate
interpretations of these composers’ music.
Finally, group of light-hearted early works by
Charles Ives highlight Bernstein’s affinity for
one of America’s most original composers.
Founded in 1998, the Madison-based Wisconsin
Chamber Choir has established a reputation for
excellence in the performance of Bach oratorios,
a cappella masterworks from various centuries,
and world-premieres. Dr. Robert Gehrenbeck is
the Wisconsin Chamber Choir’s Artistic Director.
Advance tickets are available at
Advance Adult tickets $14. At the door, $16.
Advance Student tickets $10. At the door
$12.
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