The Schulich Chamber Choir performs a masterful work by the English composer James Whitbourn (born 1963). Annelies, premiered in 2005 by Leonard Slatkin and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is a work in 14 sections for soprano, choir and orchestra, based on texts from The Diary of Anne Frank. In 2009, the composer also made a version for ensemble (violin, cello, clarinet and piano) so that the work can travel more easily. Soprano Sarah Dufresne will be the soloist and the work will be conducted by Jean-Sébastien Vallée, artistic and musical director of the choir.
PROGRAMME
PROGRAMME
Schulich Chamber Choir
Jean-Sébastien Vallée : artistic director and leader
Sarah Dufresne: soprano
With instrumental chamber ensemble
James Whitbourn: Annelies (from The Diary of Anne Frank)
Symphony No. 6 in F major, known as the Pastoral, was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1805 and 1808. Evoking nostalgia for the rustic life at a time of dramatic shift to urbanization, Beethoven imagined pastoral settings where people were in harmony with their natural environment. Beethoven’s Pastoral coincided with the decline of instrumental works, the essential purpose of which was to evoke the sounds of nature. However, this work also depicted the psychological state of humans in a context of pre-industrial change. An essential part of learning to play orchestral music, the Pastorale is conducted here by Maestro Alexis Hauser, at the helm of the McGill Symphony Orchestra, composed of course of students. The Orchestra will also perform the Cello Concerto in E minor by Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian, with soloist Braden McConnell, winner of the 2018-2019 McGill Concertos Competition. Also on the program is a premiering work by Kit Soden, winner of the 2017-2018 Andrew Svoboda Composition Prize.
PROGR McGill Symphony Orchestra Alexis Hauser: artistic director and conductor Kit Soden: composer Braden McConnell: cello Works: Kit Soden: new work Aram Khachaturian: Cello concerto in E minor Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 6 en F Major, Op. 68 (Pastoral Symphony)
