Music Sacra Announces its 2009-2010 Concert Season

Musica Sacra: Professional Choral Singing at its Finest
45th Anniversary Season

The Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra unde the direction of Kent Tritle, hailed as "the brightest star in New York's choral music world" by the New York Times, will perform works of Bach, Scarlatti, Handel and Mozart during 2009-2010, the ensembles' 45th Anniversary concert season. Founded by Richard Westenburg and considered to be one of the finest professional choirs in NYC, Music Sacra is America's longest running professional choral ensemble with a history of performing regularly in major concert halls.

The season begins on Saturday, October 24th at newly renovated Alice Tully Hall with a performance of Scarlatti's Stabat Mater, a tour-de-force for choir, with vivid word painting, plaintive solo moments and brilliant fugal writing. The program also showcases Bach's Motets: "Komm, Jesu, komm," and one of Musica Sacra's signature pieces, "Singet dem Herrn." These motets frame Bach's beloved Cantata No. 82, "Ich habe genug," for which Musica Sacra is pleased to present baritone John Gabriel Michie in his Lincoln Center debut.

Musica Sacra continues a New York Holiday tradition when it presents Handel's Messiah on Monday, December 21, 2009 and Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at Carnegie hall. Musica Sacra's Messiah performances have been praised for dramatic flair and stylistic refinement. Soloists include Julianne baird, soprano; the countertenor Anthony Roth Constanzo, winner of the 2009 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; Wiliam Ferguson, winner of the Oratorio Society competition, and Musica Sacra favorite, the bass Kevin Deas.

Musica Sacra concludes the season on April 23, 2010 at Carnegie with an all-Mozart concert. The concert features Mozart's Mass in C Minor, K. 427 - the "Great Mass" - which was unfinished in his lifetime, yet remains one of the greatest of classical mass settings. the work was initiated as a vow to honor his wedding with Constanze, and Kent Tritle describes it as "suffused with exuberance and bravura, contrasting with the deeply tender, intimate and justly famous soprano aria, 'Et incarnatus est.' Mozart honors J.S. Bach's affection for double choir with lively writing for divided chorus, and the orchestral writing is exquisite." This program begins with Mozart's sublime Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488, performed by the 2010 Winner of the Claudette Sorel Concerto Medallion. This prize is awarded by the Sorel Foundation, an organization that supports the careers of women in music. Musica Sacra is honored to partner with the Sorel Foundation for a second consecutive year.

BACH & SCARLATTI

Bach: Motet, Komm, Jesu komm
Bach, Cantata 82 Ich habe genug
Bach: Motet, Singet dem Herrn
Scarlatti: Stabat Mater

Musica Sacra Chorus & Chamber Orchestra
Jonathan G. Michie, baritone
Kent Tritle, conductor

Saturday, October 24, 2009 8pm
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
Broadway at 65th Street

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HANDEL: MESSIAH

Musica Sacra Chorus & Orchestra
Kent Tritle, conductor

Juilanne Baird, soprano
Anthony Roth Contanzo, countertenor
William Ferguson, tenor
Kevin Deas, bass

Monday, December 21, 2009, 8pm
Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 8pm
Carnegie Hall
154 West 57th Sreet

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