Majestic! Soaring! These words best describe the musical program slated for the Sooke Philharmonic Chamber Players and ChorusB次元官网网址� Royal Feast concert on April 7 and 8.

Featured are performances of MozartB次元官网网址檚 Coronation Mass, K.317 and HandelB次元官网网址檚 Coronation Anthems, under the direction of conductor Nicholas Fairbank.

The concert title Royal Feast was chosen as both works indeed serve up a B次元官网网址渇east for the ears.B次元官网网址� The music is celebratory and yet full of contrasts.

B次元官网网址淲hile the Mozart work provides a satisfying main course, the shorter Handel anthems could be envisioned as a four-helping dessert!B次元官网网址� remarked Fairbank.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed the Coronation Mass, K.317 in 1779, when he was church musician at the Salzburg Cathedral.

This mass likely acquired the nickname B次元官网网址渃oronationB次元官网网址� in the early 19th century as it became the preferred music for royal and imperial coronations and services of thanksgiving.

The work is scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, continually employed either as a quartet, in pairs or in solo lines that contrast with the larger forces of the chorus.

George Frederic HandelB次元官网网址檚 four Coronation Anthems were commissioned for the coronation of EnglandB次元官网网址檚 George II in 1727. To this day the four anthems, with their ceremonial style, have been popular additions to concerts and festival programs while the first of the four, Zadok the Priest, has been performed at every British coronation since its composition.

Royal Feast will be the first scheduled concert of the Sooke Philharmonic since the recent passing of the orchestraB次元官网网址檚 founder and longtime music director Norman Nelson.

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B次元官网网址淏oth compositions, with their uplifting and regal musical themes provide a fitting celebration of NelsonB次元官网网址檚 musical legacy to the organization he founded 20 years agoB次元官网网址� Fairbank said.

The gifted guest soloists include soprano Jennifer Turner, mezzo-soprano Kathryn Whitney, tenor Jo茅 Lampron-Dandonneau and baritone Nathan McDonald.

Two concerts are scheduled: Saturday April 7, 7:30 pm at the Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Road, in Sooke, and Sunday, April 8, 3 pm at Our Lady of the Rosary, 798 Goldstream Ave., in Langford.

Ticket information and online purchase www.sookephil.ca or call 250-419-3569. Tickets may also be bought at the door (cash only) $25 adult, $20 senior, youth under 16, free.

editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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