FARMINGTON – The UMF Community Chorus will present its annual spring concert with performances at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, May 1, and at 3 p.m., on Sunday, May 2, in Old South Church on Main Street in Farmington. The concert will be conducted by Bruce McInnes, accompanied by Patricia Hayden and a small instrumental ensemble, and will feature solos by several students and prominent members of the Farmington musical community.
The concert will feature music with a decidedly French flavor, including: The “Gallia,” a lamentation motet by Charles-François Gounod, followed by two works by Gabriel Fauré, the “Cantique de Jean Racine” and the “Requiem.” The concert will conclude with a choral medley from the hit Broadway musical “Les Misérables,” composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the Victor Hugo novel.
The “Gallia” is a relatively unknown work written in 1871 while Gounod was in London conducting a chorus of his own creation, which later became the Royal Choral Society. This lamentation motet is in four short sections or movements, which include beautiful and challenging soprano solos to be sung by Kathryn Sytsma, Carol Ramú and Cynthia Clark.
The “Cantique de Jean Racine” is another short work by Gabriel Fauré, his Opus 11, written when the composer was only 17, but which already demonstrates his remarkable melodic gifts. It will be performed in French and will be accompanied by harpist Susan Miron and solo string players.
Perhaps the best-known of Fauré’s larger works is his “Requiem,” which occupied his attention for about five years. Soloists in the “Requiem” will be Lisl Fuson, soprano; Sam Sytsma, baritone; and Paul Stancioff, bass. The instrumental accompaniment will be provided by a chamber ensemble of strings, horns and harp. Patricia Hayden will be the organist.
The final work on the program will be a medley of the most popular selections from the powerhouse Broadway musical “Les Misérables.” Soloists for “Les Mis” will include Courtney Bolen, Lauren Arnold, Cassandra Fredrickson, Dan Woodward, James Cummons and Jason Millett.
Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and free for UMF students with I.D. For more information, please call 207-778-7072, or email robin.palmermosher@maine.edu.
