Saint Martin’s University Presents 12th Annual Sacred Music Concert

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Submitted by Saint Martin’s University

sacred music saint martinsThe Saint Martin’s University Chorale will perform two free public programs of sacred music Saturday, Oct. 18 and Sunday, Oct. 19. The annual performances, which celebrate All Saints Day and the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours, the University’s patron saint, will take place at Saint Martin’s Abbey Church, 5000 Abbey Way SE. The Saturday performance begins at 7:30 p.m., and the Sunday performance starts at 2:30 p.m. Doors open 15 minutes earlier. No reservations are necessary.

A portion of the concert will explore the sacred music of opera composers, notably, some of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini. Rossini and Bellini are composers of the “Bel Canto” era, says Darrell Born, chair of the Department of Fine Arts and the Saint Martin’s University chorale director.

“Bel Canto literally means “beautiful singing,”  Born says. “All three of these composers were melodists who composed some of the most famous and most beautiful operatic arias still famed today.  I am interested in not only introducing our choral students to this great era of music,  I am interested in encouraging beautiful singing by singing repertoire whose primary focus and tradition is beauty of sound.”

“I wanted to explore how these great composers, known  for their secular music, approached the sacred,” adds Born. Highlights of the concert include Mozart’s “Tantum Ergo in B Flat,” Bellini’s “Salve, Regina” and Rossini’s “O Salutaris Hostia”.

The 75-member chorale will also perform Shape Note singing, which Born explains, is “a method of singing  which comes from the American Singing School intended to promote congregational singing and musical literacy in the church and the community.”

“There is a distinct, open, harmonic and melodic sound that comes from this tradition,” he says. “We have several pieces that follow the tradition of the Sacred Harp and these pieces have haunting melodies which promote beautiful singing.”

In a change of pace, the chorale’s performance will include a variety of what Born describes as “fun, rockin’, pop gospel songs.”

Other performances include the Guitar Ensemble, which will present a variety of pieces under the direction of Phil Lawson, a classical and jazz guitarist and an adjunct professor at Saint Martin’s. The concert accompanist is Renata Fell.

Saint Martin of Tours, the University’s patron saint, lived during the early fourth century. A Roman soldier, he converted to Christianity and left military service. He became a monk and, eventually, bishop of Tours, France. Saint Martin is known for his service to the poor and for establishing Christian monasticism in western Europe.

The Order of Saint Benedict, which established Saint Martin’s, was founded by Saint Benedict of Nursia, Italy, in the early 500s. The Order is governed by “The Rule of Saint Benedict,” a document that commends maintaining a balance of prayer, work and study. The Rule also stresses the Christian and monastic virtues of community, hospitality and stability.

The Sacred Music Concert is sponsored by the Department of Fine Arts in collaboration with the University’s Benedictine Institute.

 

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