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Our next performance Benjamin Britten | War Requiem — War, Pity of War, Pacifism  The 1930s in Britain was not an easy time or place for a committed pacifist. Germany was arming; peace seemed an unlikely proposition. Yet Benjamin Britten’s abhorrence of violence was deeply seated and of long standing. He sought conscientious objector status in 1942, then continued “the work I’m most qualified to do” — composing, performing, and, at war’s end, mounting concerts with Yehudi Menuhin at the liberated Bergen–Belsen concentration camp. As England’s premier composer, Britten was commissioned to write a requiem for the Coventry Cathedral reconsecration in May 1962. His treatment of war, tempered by the poetry of Wilfred Owen, two world wars, and the Cold War gloom of nuclear arms, was not celebratory. “When you hear Britten’s music — if you really hear it, not just listen to it superficially,” said Leonard Bernstein, “you become aware of something very dark. There are gears that are grinding and not quite meshing. And they make a great pain. It was a difficult and lonely time.” 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 4, 2012, Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Providence
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 Men ... music ... pizza Young Men’s Choral Festival Feb. 10, 2012 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) |
 Recordings of the Providence Singers 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.
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