CCM Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Perform J.S. Bach's 'Mass in B Minor'

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s

Chamber Choir

and

Philharmonia Orchestra

combine forces for two monumental performances of J.S. Bach’s grand choral-orchestral achievement,

Mass in B Minor.

Under the direction of

Earl Rivers

, the work will be performed in concert at

4 p.m.

on

Saturday, Nov. 4

, at

Christ Church Cathedral

and at

5 p.m.

on

Sunday, Nov. 5

, at

Knox Church

.

The

Mass in B Minor

is the Mount Everest of the Late Baroque period. It represents Bach’s supreme achievement of universality, assembling a monumental setting of the Ordinary of the Mass that presents a breadth of musical style greater than any other choral-orchestral work in the Western canon. “The

Mass in B Minor

is a synthesis of every stylistic and technical contribution Bach made to music,” Rivers says.

“Audience members unfamiliar with Bach’s

Mass in B Minor

may be surprised by the range and variety of musical styles within the 27 movements,” Rivers says. “Full-throttled chorus and orchestra movements with high Baroque trumpets, flutes, oboes, bassoons, timpani, organ, harpsichord and strings are contrasted with solo and duet movements that reflect the virtuoso operatic arias that were beloved in the Late Baroque.”

The two performances of the masterwork will showcase different student soloists from CCM’s opera and voice programs. Baroque specialists

Adriana Contino

, cellist, and

Garry Clarke

, violinist, have coached the CCM Philharmonia and vocal soloists in preparation for the concerts.

The Nov. 4 performance will feature BM Voice student

Page Michels

, soprano; second-year MM Voice student

Abigail Hoyt

, mezzo-soprano; second-year DMA Voice student

Jill Phillips

, mezzo-soprano; second-year MM Voice student

Dongwhi Baek

, tenor; and second-year MM Voice student

Samson McCrady

, baritone.

The Nov. 5 performance will feature first-year AD Opera student

Murrella Parton

, soprano; first-year AD Opera student

Kayleigh Decker

, mezzo-soprano; second-year AD Opera student

Amber Fasquelle

, mezzo-soprano; first-year AD Opera student

Benjamin Lee

, tenor; and second-year DMA Voice student

Matthew Worth

, baritone.

“Enabling CCM students to study, rehearse and perform Bach’s

Mass in B Minor

is an essential component of CCM’s commitment to providing our students a comprehensive immersion in Baroque performance practices,” Rivers says. “As

Mass in B Minor

represents the highest musical achievement of the Late Baroque, it is a filing work to perform in CCM’s 150th Anniversary Season.”

____

Event Information

4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4

Location: Christ Church Cathedral, 318 East 4th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5

Location: Knox Church, 3400 Michigan Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets to each performance of J.S. Bach’s

Mass in B Minor

are $15 for adults, $10 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office. Visit

ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice

for CCM Box Office hours and location.

Directions

Christ Church Cathedral is located at the corners of Fourth and Sycamore Streets in Cincinnati, Ohio. For directions and additional information, please refer to

cincinnaticathedral.com/belong

.

Knox Church is located at the corner of Michigan and Observatory avenues, one block off Hyde Park Square in Cincinnati. For directions and additional information, please refer to

knox.org

.

____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Choral Studies Sponsor: Jan Rogers

Choral Studies Sponsor: Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation