The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 in the welcoming sanctuary.
For centuries, the musical path to what is now considered the classical tradition was through the human voice. Instrumentation was assigned a support role, and church music was composed under strict church rules , until composers created new rules in the 16th and 17th centuries. The West Jersey Chamber Music Society choir will join the First Presbyterian Adult and Chapel Choirs with bass soloist Frank Mitchell, augmented by brass, in performing works from this period on Sunday, June 4 under the baton of Music Director Joel Krott.
Among them will be “Maria Magdaline & Kyrie Eleison” of Andrea Gabrielli and “Jubilate Deo & Plaudite Psallite,” composed by his nephew, Giovanni Gabrieli. These two Venetians exploited the unique acoustics of San Marco church to divide their musical forces and have them perform in antiphon, creating a stereo effect. San Marco had a long tradition of musical excellence and Gabrieli’s work there made him one of the most noted composers in Europe. The vogue that began with his influential volume, “Sacrae symphoniae,” attracted composers from all over Europe, especially from Germany, to study.
Other works demonstrate the variety of vocal music. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s “Gloria Patria,” Heinrich Schűtz’s “Fili Mi Absalom & Psalm 100,” and Jakub Handl’s “O Magnum Mysterium.” Schűtz was Gabrielli’s student, and became the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and is often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century. Handl, a Slovene active in Bohemia, was influenced by the music of nearby Venice. Palestrina, however, was of a different tradition, the Roman school of composition.
For 37 years the West Jersey Chamber Music Society and choir has presented high-quality, classical music to audiences in southern New Jersey. WJCMS aims to enhance the quality of life through the uplifting and inspiring power of music.
The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 in the welcoming sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church in Moorestown, 101 Bridgeboro Road. Afterward, concertgoers will be able to meet the musicians at a reception. Prices are $24 per ticket, $18 for seniors and students. Tickets will be available at the door.
For information and group tickets, contact Renee Jones at [email protected] or call (646) 565–8504.
