MEREDITH, NH – The New Hampshire Master Chorale’s upcoming concert series, “Villages of the Earth”, will share pieces of New Hampshire’s and the country’s peace activism history through the voices of professionally trained and auditioned singers. The concerts will be held on May 2, 3, and 4 in Andover, Concord, and Plymouth, respectively.
The ensemble will present the world premiere of Jonathan Santore’s, “Then Shall Be Heard Music Here”, from writings of Plymouth, NH abolitionist Nathaniel Peabody Rogers (1794-1846). The concert will also feature Janika Vandervelde’s “Villages of the Earth,” innovatively scored for marimba and percussion on texts by peace activist Meridel Le Seuer (1900-1996), and works by Johannes Brahms, Max Reger, and Eric Whitacre.
“I first heard the writings of Nathaniel Rogers at a ceremony I attended at Plymouth State University’s Silver Center for the Arts, which is located on the site of Rogers’ family home,” explained Santore, New Hampshire Master Chorale’s composer-in-residence. “In his fight against slavery, he wrote powerfully about the universality of humankind and the necessity for all of us, no matter what race, gender, or ethnicity, to take care of one another. I’m always looking for text with strong New Hampshire connections to use in compositions for the Master Chorale, and Rogers’ stirring prose certainly inspired me,” continued Santore.
Tickets will be sold at each concert for $15 for seniors and students or $20 for all others. The concerts will be held on the following dates and times:
Friday, May 2 at 8:00 PM, Proctor Academy in Andover, NH: New Hampshire Master Chorale will sing with Proctor Academy Chamber Choir, Kristofer Johnson – conductor;
Saturday, May 3 at 8:00 PM, South Congregational Church in Concord, NH; and
Sunday, May 4 at 4:00 PM, Plymouth Congregational Church, Plymouth, NH – 3:30 PM pre-concert talk with Jonathan Santore
The New Hampshire Master Chorale, a nonprofit choir in its fifth season, is dedicated to excellence in the art of choral music performance. Members of the group are singers auditioned from throughout New England who have performed as soloists and in choral ensembles throughout the world. For more information about the New Hampshire Master Chorale, concert tickets, Dr. Dan Perkins, or composer-in-residence Dr. Jonathan Santore, visit www.nhmasterchorale.org or 603-536-3786.