Annapolis Chorale goes Russian

If you’ve never been to an Annapolis Chorale concert, you are missing an entertainment delight.  Under the direction of J. Ernest  Green — Ernie — chorale music comes to life with the voices of 180 volunteers who truly love to sing.    Well-known in our area for their performance of traditional choral music and Christmas programs, the Chorale is equally adept when it comes to singing Broadway, Jazz, and more. The Chorale is in its 36th season, and their next concert is March 13-14.  Tickets for this concert of Russian music are available from Maryland Hall– read more from their press release …

Annapolis Chorale Performs a cappella Russian Classic
– Choral singing is the center of this exploration of Russian music at historic St. Anne’s –

Live Arts Maryland presents The Annapolis Chorale, under the direction of J. Ernest Green, in an exploration of Russian musical traditions on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m. at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church.   The concerts’ centerpiece is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “All Night Vigil” sung a cappella by the Chorale’s 50-member Chamber Chorus.  With soaring harmonies and transcendent themes, this piece demonstrates the power and majesty of the Russian Orthodox service music.  The acoustics of historic St. Anne’s are the perfect setting for such a work, which features voices with no orchestra accompaniment.

To further delve into this rich history, Music Director J. Ernest Green has also included additional pieces by Rachmaninoff, his Vocalise (Opus 34, No. 4), and two of his Moment Musiceaux (D-Flat Major, Opus, 16, No. 5 and E-Flat Minor, Opus 16, No. 2).  Two selections by Franz Schubert are also on the program, his Moment Musiceaux in F Minor (Opus 94, No. 3) and A-Flat Major (Opus 94, No. 2).  These selections will be performed by pianist Erik Apland.  Says Mr. Green of this program, “Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil is the pinnacle of Russian choral music, perhaps best known for its stunning setting of the Ave Maria (“Bogorodtsye Devo”) and one can hear echoes of this piece throughout his other works.  While Rachmaninoff is thought by some to be the last of the Romantic Era composers, Schubert is among the first.  Both composers wrote sets of pieces entitled “Moment Musiceaux.”  The inclusion of Schubert’s works on this program creates a set of musical bookends with his works at the beginning and Rachmaninoff leading us into the twilight of the Romantic Era.”  Mr. Green will talk about these works during Friday’s Casual Friday concert and in Saturday’s pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. in the church.

The Chorale offers two opportunities to experience these works Friday’s Casual Friday event at 7:30 p.m., an interactive event that includes a question-and-answer session with the guest artists and Mr. Green following the concert, and Saturday’s 8 p.m. performance.  Mr. Green will give a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. in the church.  Tickets are $37 for adults, $12 for students and are on sale now at the Maryland Hall Box Office at 410-280-5640 or www.marylandhall.org.  There is a $3 per-ticket service charge for individual tickets.

The Annapolis Chorale is presented by Live Arts Maryland, one of the region’s largest and most active non-profit arts organizations dedicated to enhancing community life by performing and presenting high-quality music and providing music education for all ages.  Live Arts Maryland is also home to the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Annapolis Youth Chorus and the St. Anne’s Concert Series.  It also offers such music education programs as the MusicWorks school partnership and a scholarship program for high-school music students.  The Annapolis Chorale is a resident company of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and is supported by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis.