CONCORA Continues Popular Concerts at Trinity College Chapel

In the third of what has become an annual concert series at Trinity College Chapel, CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists), the region’s oldest all-professional choral ensemble, returns to the Gothic-inspired chapel to present “Masses Ancient and Modern” on Sunday, February 11, at 4:00 PM.

For the 2018 edition of this popular program, CONCORA’s Artistic Director Chris Shepard has selected three beautiful, inspiring settings of the Latin Mass.

The program opens with timeless Gregorian chant, in a complete presentation of Missa Orbis factor, one of the most highly-regarded mass settings of the Solemnes chant tradition. Renaissance polyphony is represented by the Mass for Four Voices by 16th-century Tudor composer William Byrd, music that remains fresh after more than four centuries. In his Mass for Double Choir, Swiss composer Frank Martin fuses the linear textures of Gregorian chant with highly-charged choral polyphony in a setting that is in turns contemplative, exultant, somber, and glorious.

“For the entire history of Western choral music, the Latin Mass text has been at the core of the repertoire,” said Shepard. “Setting this timeless text has long been a benchmark of sorts for choral composers, starting with the anonymous singers of Gregorian chant and extending to composers of our own time. Mass settings by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven are pillars of the choral canon. Among choral singers and choral audiences, the exquisite settings by William Byrd and Frank Martin are also highly regarded and deeply loved, and we look forward to performing these in Trinity Chapel, so perfectly suited for unaccompanied choral music."

CONCORA, the region’s oldest all-professional choral ensemble, maintains a roster of about 50 singers. For “Masses Ancient and Modern,” Artistic Director Shepard has selected twenty-four vocalists whose voices are particularly suited to early and contemporary music.

“One of CONCORA’s notable qualities is the versatility of its singers and their ability to produce a wide range of colors and timbres appropriate to the broad range of repertoire we perform,” said Shepard. “In this concert, listeners will hear a wide spectrum of sound, starting with the simple melodies of Gregorian chant, broadening somewhat in the four-part, austere setting by William Byrd, and opening up to exuberant richness with the setting by Frank Martin, where the choir divides into two choirs, and within those choirs, divides still further to create a rich tapestry of sound.”

“CONCORA is thrilled to return to one of the most beautiful performance spaces in Hartford,” added Shepard. “Not only is Trinity College Chapel breathtakingly beautiful to the eye, but it is one of the best and most rewarding acoustical spaces in the region, perfectly suited for the ethereal choral music that CONCORA will present on February 11.”

Tickets are on sale now for “Masses Ancient and Modern” on February 11, 2018, 4:00PM at Trinity College Chapel, 300 Summit Street, Hartford.

The two previous concerts in CONCORA’s series at Trinity College Chapel were sold out, so those who hope to attend are urged to reserve seats soon.

EVENT DETAILS

What: Masses Ancient and Modern: A concert of choral music by professional choir CONCORA

When: Sunday, February 11, 2018, 4:00 PM. Snow date: Monday, February 12, 2018, 7:30 PM at the same location.

Where: Trinity Chapel at Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT. Free parking is available on surrounding streets and college lots.

Family-friendly: Yes

Accessible: Yes

Tickets: $10-$55. Tickets are on sale now and will be available at the door on the day of the concert. Student tickets are just $10. Discounted group rates are available for general admission and senior tickets for groups of 8 or more. 2-for-1 general admission tickets are available with the Let*s Go! Arts card; contact the CONCORA office for details.

For more info or to purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/m... or 860-293-0567 or contact@concora.org or www.concora.org