20th-Annual Season, 2011-2012
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Holy Rosary Church, 4200 SW Genesee St., Seattle
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church, 609 8th Ave, Seattle
With special guests
Lisa Pontén, soprano
Kathryn Weld, mezzo-soprano
Gabriel Gargari, tenor
Charles Robert Stephens, baritone/bass
Meg Brennand, cello
Steve Schermer, double-bass
Dr. Clint Kraus, organ
The lyrical beauty and power of Mendelssohn's Te Deum for double choir, soloists, and organ continuo reveal the young composer's genius as Opus 7 celebrates the opening concert of its 20th Anniversary season with this major work. Guest artists for this masterwork include St. James Cathedral Soloists Lisa Pontén, soprano and Kathryn Weld, mezzo-soprano; New York’s Gabriel Gargari, tenor and Northwest gem Charles Robert Stephens, baritone/bass; as well as Meg Brennand, cello, Steve Schermer, double-bass, and St. James Cathedral Associate Organist Dr. Clint Kraus. Also on the program is David Griffiths’ Te Deum and Gwyneth Walker’s God’s Grandeur, both written for Opus 7’s Tenth-Anniversary Season; as well as Benjamin Britten’s Festival Te Deum, for choir and organ; and Ring Out, Wild Bells for double chorus and piano by Jonathan Dove.
Opus 7 Vocal
Ensemble, a resident ensemble at St. James Cathedral
Don't miss the return of a popular Holiday tradition - St. James Cathedral Resident Ensemble Opus 7 presents the brilliantly entertaining and moving cantata, Saint Nicolas by Benjamin Britten, with tenor Howard Fankhauser singing the title role. We are joined by St. James Cathedral's youth choir Schola Cantorum, the young women's choir Jubilate!, both directed by Stacey Sunde, along with the Cathedral Chamber Orchestra and organists Joseph Adam and Clint Kraus.
Also on the program will be music for the holiday season by Arvo Pärt, John Tavener, Zoltán Kodály, Eric Whitacre, Lloyd Pfautsch and Steve Martland.
Saturday, March 24, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave, Seattle [directions]
Opus 7 presents an evening of unusual harmonies, dramatic dissonances, and lush romanticism in this collection of powerful psalms and motets for Lent. These texts describe the journey "From Captivity to the Holy City" not only celebrating the ascent from earthly Jerusalem to the heavenly Holy City they also describe the human experience as we move from darkness to light, from enslavement to liberation, and from suffering to joy. The settings drawn from Psalms 121-137 are also known as the "Songs of Ascents," thought to have their origin as devotional songs in praise of Yahweh for delivering the Hebrews from foreign bondage and for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Included will be works by Egil Hovland, Pavel Lukaszewski, Johannes Brahms, and Morton Lauridsen.
Saturday, May 5, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church, 609 8th Ave, Seattle [directions]
Sunday, May 6, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
First Covenant Church, 400 E Pike, Seattle
Leap into the joy of Spring as Opus 7 lets down its collective hair in the biannual Spring Folly concert, which is quickly becoming a favorite of local audiences. Featuring humorous works and music inspired by the romantic season of Spring, this concert will also showcase works by the winners of our Student Choral Composition Awards, as well as some satirical election-year advice. The final concert of our 20th-Anniversary Season will end where we first began, with a concert in one of First Hill's architectural treasures - First Covenant Church. This 900+ seat circular interior was built in 1911 and was the location of Opus 7's first concert in May of 1992.