Mastersingers To Sing Gabriel Faure’s Masterpiece!
Central Oregon Mastersingers will join choirs around the world to pay tribute to French composer Gabriel Fauré (pronounced faw-ray) with a two-concert performance of his beloved Requiem. The October free concerts commemorate the 100th anniversary year of Fauré’s passing on Nov. 4, 1924. “Fauré’s Requiem is a sublime masterpiece, and one of his most cherished works” said Mastersingers' Artistic Director Christian Clark. "This timeless music not only showcases Fauré's gift for lyrical beauty but also serves as a poignant reflection of his serene approach to life, death, and peace. It's a fitting tribute to a composer whose music continues to inspire." The concerts will be held Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in St. Helens Hall at Trinity Episcopal Church, 231 NW Idaho Street, and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. at Nativity Lutheran Church, 60850 Brosterhous Road. Admission is free; donations appreciated. The Dove String Quartet and Stephen Marshall, organist, will join Mastersingers in this intimate presentation of the Requiem. Performers Samantha Winter and Sterling Roberts will sing solo passages. Winter will sing the famous Pie Jesu, while Roberts will perform passages in Hostias and Libera me. To open the concert, Mastersingers also will perform two works by Lili Boulanger, a student of Fauré, and the first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize. A remarkable talent from a youthful age, Boulanger was a multi-instrumentalist and trailblazing composer who shared her musical brilliance with the world until her untimely death in 1918 at just 24 years old. Diane Thielen, Mastersinger’s collaborative pianist, will accompany the choral group’s performance of Boulanger’s two works. Gabriel Urbain Fauré, 1845-1924, was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. One of the foremost French composers of his generation, Faure’s musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. Among his best-known works are the songs "Après un rêve" and "Clair de lune". Central Oregon Mastersingers, the area’s premier choral ensemble, will also participate in the Nov. 11 Bend Veterans Day Parade; the Bend Christmas Parade; the annual holiday concert, Festival of Carols, Dec. 14-15 at the Tower Theater; and a free Messiah Sing-Along, Dec. 21-22 in Bend and Sunriver. The group is recent recipients of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Arts Commission grants. For more details: Website: www.centraloregonmastersingers.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/CentralOregonMastersingers Instagram: www.instagram.com/CentralOregonMastersingers |