The Cecilia Chorus of New York Presents Margaret Bonds’s The Ballad of the Brown King: A Christmas Cantata and Handel/Mozart 'Vest-Pocket' Messiah
What: The Cecilia Chorus of New York Presents Margaret Bonds's The Ballad of the Brown King: A Christmas Cantata (text by Langston Hughes) and Handel/Mozart "Vest-Pocket" Messiah
When: Friday, December 10 at 8:00 PM
Where: Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, 57th St & 7th Ave
URL: https://www.ceciliachorusny.org/
New York, NY - The Cecilia Chorus of New York, Mark Shapiro, Music Director, will present the Carnegie Hall premiere of The Ballad of the Brown King: A Christmas Cantata (1954) by American composer Margaret Bonds on a text by Langston Hughes in Bonds's original orchestration, along with their 50-minute "vest-pocket" Messiah by G.F. Handel, in the orchestration by W.A. Mozart on Friday, December 10, 2021, at 8:00PM in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, 57th Street & 7th Avenue in Manhattan.
The performance will be with chorus, orchestra, and soloists Brandie Inez Sutton, soprano (https://www.brandiesuttonsoprano.com/); Joshua Blue, tenor (https://www.joshuabluetenor.com/) and Justin Austin, baritone (https://www.justinaustin.org/). All are featured in The Metropolitan Opera's current season.
Maestro Shapiro writes, "Celebrating the work of composers outside the mainstream isn't new to The Cecilia Chorus. And neither is singing holiday classics in Carnegie Hall. But combining the two in a powerful fusion of musical, historical, and social traditions feels joyous and right to us this holiday season. Nearly 70 years after Black composer Margaret Bonds deftly infused classical structure with the rich American flavors of spirituals, jazz, and blues in her Christmas cantata, The Ballad of the Brown King, we're honored to present its Carnegie Hall premiere. We've pulled out all the stops in casting three internationally renowned soloists. And in a harmonious juxtaposition, by no means happenstance, we're delighted to introduce our 'vest-pocket' Messiah, compressing Handel's 150-minute epic into a crisp, exhilarating 50-minutes."
Tickets start at $25 and are available at https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2021/12/10/the-cecilia-chorus-of-new-york-with-orchestra-0800pm. For more information about this concert, visit https://ceciliachorusny.org/the-ballad-of-the-brown-king or call 646-638-2535. CCNY Carnegie Hall concerts are ADA accessible. For MTA transportation information, visit https://tripplanner.mta.info/MyTrip/ui_web/customplanner/TripPlanner.aspx.
Please note that proof of vaccination and masks will be required for admission to this concert. Details are subject to change due to the ongoing health risks of COVID-19. Check ceciliachorusny.org for the most up-to-date information.
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