(11/17/2004)
Fifteen members of the Mount St. Mary’s
University Chorale will travel to New York
City’s Carnegie Hall later this month to
perform Mozart’s "Coronation Mass."
They will join
approximately 100 singers representing
eight choirs from around the country. The
New England Symphonic Ensemble will
accompany the chorus. The concert will be
conducted by Dr. Earl Rivers of the
University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music, who invited
participation by choirs that are directed
by several of his former choral conducting
students.
The concert will
take place on Sunday evening, November 21,
at 8:30, in Carnegie Hall, the culmination
of a four-day residency in New York,
during which the singers will participate
in hours of intensive rehearsal.
The hard work
doesn’t just begin in New York, however;
from the beginning of the semester, the
singers from the Mount have put in a lot
of extra effort to learn the music in
order to be thoroughly prepared for this
residency. "What most excites me about
this opportunity is that I view it as a
sort of reward for all the hours of work
the singers dedicate to the ensemble. All
of the members of the Chorale are among
the most dedicated, talented, and hard
working students in the university, and I
am proud that we’ll have a chance to
showcase the best of the Mount at such a
notable venue as Carnegie Hall," says Dr.
Rosenfeld.
Mozart was 23 and
living in Salzburg when he composed his
Mass in C Major, K.317 in 1779. It is
nicknamed "Coronation" because it was
supposedly composed for the ceremonial
crowning of an image of the Blessed
Virgin. The work is considered among the
finest of all of Mozart’s liturgical
compositions.
Since the founding
of the Mount Glee Club by Father David
Shaum more than 50 years ago, choral music
has been a vital part of the schools’
cultural life. Touring is a standard part
of the Chorale’s routine. In 2003 the
Chorale undertook a very successful tour
of southern Spain, with concerts in
Madrid, Seville, and Granada. Stateside,
the choir has also performed before
audiences in many locales, including
Williamsburg, Atlanta, Charleston,
Charlotte, and Baltimore. At home, the
choir performs at least one major concert
per semester, as well as for a number of
college liturgies, special convocations,
and other events throughout the year.
Amberly Battersby,
class of 2007, and a member of the choir
is "overjoyed that the Mount has the
talent and opportunity to participate in a
concert at the legendary Carnegie Hall! I
cannot wait for this wonderful
experience."
For ticket
information contact Carnegie Charge at
(212) 247-7800 or online at
www.carnegiehall.org. The concert is being
organized by Mid-America Productions, a
New York based music agency. For other
information, please contact the Office of
Communications at 301-560-4611.