St. Cecilia Chamber Choir Celebrates Spring

with Sacred Texts and Themes of the Sea

April 10 and 11 in Brunswick and Newcastle

For further information contact: Steve Ward at 563 8191

   If you like exuberant choral music that celebrates Easter and spring’s arrival, don’t miss the St. Cecilia Chamber Choir’s concerts, Saturday April 10 at 3 PM in Brunswick and Sunday April 11 at 3 PM in Newcastle. The concert’s first half includes stirring music for organ and full choir by William Mathias, “Let the People Praise Thee, O God,” that was first performed at Westminster Abbey for the 1981 wedding of Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. Just as powerful is the featured work in the first half: “A Sequence for St. Michael,” Herbert Howells’ 1961 setting of a medieval lyric celebrating St. Michael’s slaying of the dragon, with prayers for divine blessing. Richard Francis of Damariscotta takes the tenor solo in Howells’ “Sequence”.

   Richard Francis also contributes an original composition, “Easter Hymn,” that is based on a poem by A. E. Houseman, focusing on Jesus’ doubts and fears in the Garden of Gethsemane. The program’s first half continues with a luscious 1925 composition for double choirs by William Harris, “Faire is the Heaven,” with lyrics by 16^th century English poet Edmund Spencer and a “Magnificat” set in eight parts in 1987 by American composer Conrad Susa that is full of rhythmic surprises.

   The concert’s second half explores pastoral and maritime themes, in a more peaceful mood. Selections include two pieces each by Charles V. Stanford and by Ralph Vaughan Williams that illustrate the high-water mark of 20^th century English choral song. The Choir concludes the concert with an e. e. cummings poem set to music by Todd Monsell – son of a choir member – and finally an A. C. Swinburne poem from 1865 celebrating spring that has been set to music by the Choir’s own Richard Francis.

   Celebrate spring’s approach with this varied and high-spirited program. The 3:00 PM Saturday afternoon concert will take place at Bowdoin Chapel on the Bowdoin College campus in Brunswick and the 3 PM Sunday concert will be at the Second Congregational Church in Newcastle. Tickets are $10 in advance (at Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick and Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta) and $12 at the door. Children and students are admitted at no charge. For more information, visit the Choir’s web site at www.ceciliachoir.org or call 380-2768.

   Now in its 14^th season, the St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is directed by Linda Blanchard – Director of the Sheepscot Valley Chorus and of choirs at St. Andrew’s Church in Newcastle – with organ accompaniment by Sean Fleming – organist at St. Andrew’s. The Choir is composed of 30 fully-auditioned members who hail from the length and breadth of Mid-Coast Maine.

   This St. Cecilia 2009-2010 concert season is once more sponsored by The First bank, of Wiscasset and points north.