Chora Nova, accompanied by the First Church pipe organ, sings the Duruflé Requiem and music by other French composers
Chora Nova, a 50-voice Berkeley-based chorus, accompanied by the First Church pipe organ, presents a program of French music anchored by the Duruflé Requiem that will include a taste of music by other French composers such as César Franck and Gabriel Fauré at First Church Berkeley (formerly First Congregational Church) on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.
The chorus will be led by guest conductor Derek Tam and joined for the evening by mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm, cellist Erik Andersen, and organist Christopher Keady on the magnificent pipe organ at First Church.
When in 1903 Pope Pius X described Gregorian chant as “the supreme model for sacred music” he was acknowledging the achievements of the Benedictine monks of Solemnes, who sought to reconstruct Roman Catholic plainchant, restore it to the liturgy, and provide adequate guidance for its performance. Gregorian chant had a profound impact on those French composers who were also church organists—Franck, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, Messiaen, and particularly Duruflé, who went farther than any of his colleagues in incorporating plainchant into his works.
ChoraNova.org,
First Church Berkeley UCC (First Congregational), Dana and Durant, Berkeley.
Tickets: $30 general, $25 senior or under 25, $10 students with ID. Purchase tickets from any chorister, online at https://choranova.org/buy-tickets/ or at the door.