Charis Chamber Voices sings Gabriel Fauré’s beloved Requiem in its Winter Concerts: Saturday, March 7 at 4:00 p.m. at St. James the Less Episcopal Church, 10 Church Lane, Scarsdale, NY, and Sunday, March 8, at 4:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, 178 Oenoke Ridge Road, New Canaan, CT. Charis’s Artistic Director, Jeremy Wiggins, conducts, accompanied by organ, harp and strings.
The Requiem, one of the great monuments of choral music, sets Fauré’s personal selection of liturgical texts, expressing a message of peace, serenity, and hope. Charis reaches back earlier in time to open the concert with a work by Dietrich Buxtehude, the German Baroque composer who so influenced J. S. Bach and others. Franz Joseph Haydn’s Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (also known as the “Little Organ Mass”) closes the concert’s first half. As the title indicates, it’s a short setting of the traditional Mass text. To speed things along, Haydn sets several different sections in different voices simultaneously, giving the music a rich, colorful texture.
Charis’s famous wine and cheese reception will follow each concert. We look forward to sharing this unforgettable celebration with you!
Tickets are $25 ($20 for seniors and $15 for students). They may be purchased in advance through the Charis website, www.charisvocals.com, or at the door.
Charis is an auditioned chorus of about 30 men and women from Westchester County, NY, and Fairfield County, CT. Founded in 1994, the group is renowned for its diverse repertoire, unique blend of voices and captivating performances.