Seattle Choral Company: Cantata Fest
$25 / $20 / $5
Felix Mendelssohn — Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten
Tarik O'Regan — Triptych
Rebekah Gilmore, soprano
Wyatt Smith, organ
Freddie Coleman, conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach – "Christ lag in Todesbanden," BWV 4
Felix Mendelssohn – "Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten"
Tarik O'Regan – "Triptych"
The Seattle Choral Company, led by founding director Freddie Coleman, concludes their 37th season with “Cantata Fest” – a concert of choral cantatas spanning three centuries. The concert will feature members of the North Corner Chamber Orchestra (Victoria Parker, leader), soprano soloist Rebekah Gilmore, and organist Wyatt Smith.
Cantata No. 4, "Christ lag in Todesbanden" (Christ lay in the bonds of death), is surely one of the most popular and best known of all of Bach's sacred cantatas. It is an example of a chorale cantata – all movements, including the opening sinfonia, make use of the chorale tune and/or text in some fashion. The chorale was written by Martin Luther, and is based on the Catholic chant "Victimae paschali laudes." Cantata No. 4 was written for Easter Sunday. Stylistically, the work appears to have been written around 1707-1708, and it may be Bach's earliest surviving sacred vocal composition.
Throughout Mendelssohn's career, the treatment of chorale melodies played a major role, and the occupation with the protestant chorale even runs through his symphonic and oratorical work. His study of Bach's work in connection with the re-enactment of the "St. Matthew Passion" led to a series of cantatas on well-known chorales for choir, instruments and sometimes solos. "Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten" (He who lets only the good Lord rule) is one of those cantatas.
Tarik O'Regan, "one of the leading British composers of his generation" (Gramophone) who is writing "music of startling beauty" (The Observer), was born in London in 1978. About O'Regan's "Triptych," the London Times wrote: O'Regan is [making] an impact with music that is striking and approachable without being obvious or second-hand... this was one contemporary piece that you didn't want to finish.
There will be a pre-concert talk hosted by Seattle Choral Company conductor Freddie Coleman at 7:00pm. Concert begins at 8:00pm.
Tickets: $25 (seniors, military, and veterans $20; students $5)