Concert is Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. at South Main Baptist Church
WHAT: The Grammy® Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir, under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson and Artistic Director Designate Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, launches its 30th season with the world premiere of “The Son of Man,” a brilliant new work by renowned English composer Patrick Hawes. In a first-ever collaboration, the Choir will be accompanied by musicians with the renowned, Grammy® Award-winning Houston Symphony. Conducted by Simpson, this is his final year as Houston Chamber Choir’s artistic director.
“The Son of Man,” is based on iconic texts from the Old and New Testaments. Its memorable melodies, imaginative choral and orchestral writing and deep sense of drama result in a powerful experience which is of our time, yet reminiscent of Handel’s Messiah.
Unlike Messiah, however, which is a devotional work in adoration and praise of the man Jesus, “The Son of Man” addresses eternal questions: What does it mean to be human? How are we to understand the purpose and destiny of our life? What does a fully realized human life look like?
The oratorio is in two parts, each lasting approximately 50 minutes and is scored for choir, three soloists and chamber orchestra. The baritone soloist (Collin Jumes) takes on the role of the Son of Man, while the soprano (Caitlin Aloia) and tenor (Adam Catangui) add commentary to the unfolding story. A special symbiosis of music and poetry opens up the visions of Ezekiel, the dreams of Daniel, the meditations of the Psalmist, and the revelations of St John the Divine.
Be the first to hear a work that promises to become a favorite of audiences around the world.
WHO: As a torchbearer of the English musical tradition, Hawes has produced a vast and varied catalog ranging from small-scale piano and chamber compositions to full-scale symphonies and epic choral works. He is best known for the Highgrove Suite commissioned by HRH King Charles III and the chart-topping albums Angel and The Great War Symphony. Among others, Hawes has written for The King’s Singers, Voces8, the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Julian Lloyd Webber, and orchestras including the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic. He has also performed his work in world class venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall.
WHERE: South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main St., Houston, TX 77002
WHEN: Saturday, September 21, 2024, 7:30 p.m. CT
COST: Single tickets for the performance range from $10 for students to $45 for general admission. Seniors and military personnel receive a discount. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.houstonchamberchoir.org/2024-2025-season/the-son-of-man.
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Link to photos here
Photo credits:
Jeff Grass Photography for Houston Chamber Choir
Courtesy of Patrick Hawes
About Houston Chamber Choir
Led by Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson and Artistic Director Designate Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, the Houston Chamber Choir is a Grammy® Award-winning ensemble of 24 professional musicians selected from the finest choral artists in our region. “One of the jewels of the city’s cultural scene” (Houston Chronicle), the Houston Chamber Choir has brought Houston an array of choral works for 28 years ranging from early music and Baroque masterpieces, including the city’s first period instrument performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass, to the rarely heard Third Sacred Concert by Duke Ellington, and performances and premieres of works by today’s leading composers, many with Houston ties — David Ashley White, Christopher Theofanidis, Dominick DiOrio, J. Todd Frazier, Mark Buller, Karim Al-Zand, Pierre Jalbert, Marcus Maroney, and Daniel Knaggs.
The Houston Chamber Choir’s awards include Chorus America’s Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and the American Prize. They were one of 24 international ensembles selected to appear at the 2020 World Symposium on Choral Music in New Zealand. The Houston Chamber Choir has appeared at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, and Chorus America. Tours have taken them to Mexico, Wales, and the Northeastern United States where they performed at Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York City, and Yale University at the invitation of the Institute of Sacred Music.
The Choir’s recording of the complete choral works of French composer Maurice Duruflé was awarded the 2019 Grammy® Award for Best Choral Performance. In January 2022, Signum Classics released its newest recording of compositions by acclaimed British composer Bob Chilcott. For this recording, the Houston Chamber Choir is joined by the Treble Choir of Houston directed by Marianna Parnas-Simpson. The title work, Circlesong, is a 13-movement composition for two choirs, two pianos, and percussion based on indigenous poetry of North America.