On November 14, 1940, the Luftwaffe began the Coventry Blitz — wave after wave of nighttime bombing attacks code-named Operation Moonlight Sonata. When the all-clear sounded at 6:15 a.m. the next day, the attacks had damaged or destroyed more than 60,000 buildings, including three-quarters of Coventry’s factories, more than 4,000 homes, and the Cathedral of St. Michael. Little more than two decades later, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem led the reconsecration of Coventry Cathedral. It is a powerful work for three choirs and orchestra, interlacing the Latin Requiem Mass with nine starkly beautiful poems by the British war poet Wilfred Owen.

3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 4, 2012, Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Providence
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It’s our third annual choral festival for young men, held this year at Rhode Island College. Rehearsals, workshops and, yes, pizza — all designed to acquaint male singers of high school age with the pleasures and possibilities of the choral art. We’ll start at 1 p.m., and by 7 o’clock we’ll have a concert ready for friends, family, and each other. Jameson Marvin, choral director emeritus at Harvard, will be this year's guest clinician, with mentors from the Providence Singers and Rhode Island College. There’s more information at the Singers office: 401-751-5700. Registration form (pdf)

Dominick Argento: Jonah and the Whale
Jonah was a difficult prophet. He tried to wriggle out of divine assignments and whined loudly enough to annoy even God. Dominick Argento used medieval poetry, the Book of Jonah and other sources to prepare the libretto for this composition. Call the Singers office for more information. More ...

Lukas Foss: The Prairie
The Singers’ debut recording has been well received and is still available from vendors or through the Providence Singers. More ...

Lou Harrison: La Koro Sutro
The Singers joined the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and its American gamelan at Mechanics Hall in Worcester to record the entire work. BMOP will pair the Harrison with other modern works in an upcoming CD release.