Easton Choral Arts closes this 2012-2013 35th Anniversary Concert Season with two performances of Felix Mendelssohn’s powerful and passionate oratorio, Elijah. Performances will be at the Avalon Theatre, Saturday, April 13th at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 14th at 3:00 p.m. Featuring one of the most active bass-baritones in the Baltimore-Washington area, we are fortunate to welcome the return of guest soloist Robert Cantrell as Elijah. Other guest soloists include soprano Elizabeth Overmann, mezzo-soprano Kristen Dubenion-Smith, tenor Nick Fichter, and organist Neil Weston.
It’s been a great year at Easton Choral Arts marked by many good things, including the recent launch of our new website, EastonChoralArts.com. We are thrilled with the outcome and sincerely hope you agree it is easy to navigate and attractively lays out and represents our season repertoire, history, performance details/ticket information, and terrific Chorus! We look forward to soon posting updated and complete information about our Lending Library, Archives and additional Programming Notes. Take a look…we think you’ll be pleased!
Easton Choral Arts Society is supported in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Talbot County Arts Council. Adult tickets are $20, student tickets $5. Tickets can be purchased at EastonChoralArts.com; by phone hotline (410) 200-0498; directly through Chorus members and/or at Crackerjack’s.
A little background on Mendelssohn’s Elijah…
Inspired by the Old Testament 9th c. BC Hebrew prophet, and translated from German to English based on the King James Bible, Mendelssohn debuted and conducted his magnificent oratorio commission at England’s famous Birmingham Festival in 1846. Following the London debut in 1847, the London Times said “Never was there a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art.” Shortly thereafter, at the pinnacle of his career and only 38 years old, Mendelssohn fell dead after a series of fatal strokes. It is believed he was utterly exhausted by the effort of creating such a musical masterpiece, and sad beyond return at the loss of his beloved sister, Fanny.
A “fiery” man, Elijah is a powerful story of man against world, passionate and loyal in his resistance and fight against false Gods and empty idolatry. It was created and written in Victorian England during a time of great progress and rationalism…a time of materialism and scientific advances such that challenged accepted traditions…all which lay heavy on the heart and mind of Felix Mendelssohn.
Elijah is glorious music, filled with inspirational arias and choruses, dramatic narrative and musical contrasts. As music is recognized as “art”, Mendelssohn’s Elijah is as exalted in magnificence and grandeur as that of Handel’s Messiah and Haydn’s Creation. This music and narrative will leave you breathless and stunned in its drama and suspense, its emotional contrasts and melodic eloquence.
We look forward to seeing you at these two great performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah!
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