The Cathedral of St. John the Divine Announces Eleventh Season of Great Music in a Great Space

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street), will present the eleventh season of Great Music in a Great Space under the direction of Kent Tritle, Director of Cathedral Music and Organist. With choral and organ performances ranging from Joel Thompson's Seven Last Words of the Unarmed to J.S. Bach's Magnificat, this season provides a culturally diverse offering inside the Cathedral's gothic interior, joyfully reengaging with live music after a year of all-virtual offerings.

The season kicks off with a recital by Kent Tritle, followed by the world premiere of David Briggs' transcription for organ of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Cathedral Choir and soloists. Musica Sacra, the longest continuously performing professional chorus in New York City, and the Oratorio Society of New York join the Cathedral Choir to present music spanning from J.S. Bach's Magnificat to Arvo Pärt's Berliner Messe, and a world premiere by Wang Jie.

Holiday music is a beloved tradition at the Cathedral. The Cathedral's Christmas concerts include carols sung by the audience, and the New Year's Eve Concert for Peace, founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1984, continues this year with music of inspiration and social conscience.

A full series of organ recitals by Tritle, Artist in Residence David Briggs, newly appointed Associate Organist Daniel Ficarri, and Organ Scholar Samuel Kuffuor-Afriyie plumbs the riches of the repertory, includes premieres, and explores new avenues of composition and performance for the King of Instruments.

To safeguard concertgoers, musicians, and staff, the Cathedral will require all Great Music in a Great Space ticketholders to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before entry to the building. The following protocols will be in place:

· Upon entry to the Cathedral, all visitors will be required to show a hard copy or photo of their COVID-19 vaccination card or the NYS Excelsior Pass and a valid photo ID.

· Visitors must have received the final vaccine dose at least 14 days before entry.

· Masks are required for all visitors, staff, and clergy while in the Cathedral.

· Children between the ages of 2 and 12 are required to wear masks and must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.

· Seating will be physically distanced according to current CDC guidance for all indoor events.

Tickets will be available on the Cathedral's website beginning September 8. Students are admitted free to select performances with valid school ID. Visit the Cathedral's website for more information about the 2021-2022 season of Great Music in a Great Space.

CHORAL CONCERT SERIES

All concerts start at 7:30 pm

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

David Briggs, organ

CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE

Kent Tritle, conductor

Susanna Phillips, soprano

Kirsten Sollek, contralto

Bernard Holcomb, tenor

Joseph Beutel, bass-baritone

L. V. BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 (world premiere of transcription for organ by David Briggs)

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

MUSICA SACRA CHORUS & ENSEMBLE 1047

Kent Tritle & Michael Sheetz, conductors

Nola Richardson, soprano

Helen Karloski, mezzo-soprano

James Reese, tenor

Peter Stewart, baritone

Sato Moughalian, flute

J. S. Bach Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor

J. S. Bach Cantata 78, Jesu, der du meine Seele

JOHANN MICHAEL BACH Halt, was du hast

JOHANN CHRISTOPH BACH Fürchte dich nicht

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

Kent Tritle, David Rosenmeyer & William Janiszewski, conductors

Raymond Nagem, organ

Benjamin Britten Festival Te Deum and Rejoice in the Lamb

ARVO PÄRT Berliner Messe and Two Slavonic Psalms

GIOVANNI GABRIELI Jubilate Deo, omnis terra (a 8)

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Caleidoscópio! Unsung voices from Portugal

ROSE OF THE COMPASS & PARTHENIA

CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE

Kent Tritle, Nina Stern & Raymond Nagem, music directors

An exploration of rarely heard works from Portugal including the 13th-century female-voiced Cantigas de Amigo, symphonies of the converso Jewish heiress Isabella Duarte, and sacred and secular works of the 16th century Black composer Vicente Lusitano.

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK CHORUS & ORCHESTRA OF THE SOCIETY

Kent Tritle, conductor

*Hyeyoung Moon, soprano

*Jasmin White, mezzo-soprano

*Patrick Bessenbacher, tenor

*William Socolof, bass-baritone

J. S. Bach Magnificat, BWV 243

W. A. MOZART Coronation Mass, K 317

*Performers from The Juilliard School

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Te Deum Laudamus: Centennial & World Premiere!

MUSICA SACRA CHORUS & ORCHESTRA

Kent Tritle, conductor

Nicole Joy Mitchell, contralto

John Riesen, tenor

VIKTOR KALABIS Canticum Canticorum

ARVO PÄRT Te Deum

Wang Jie World Premiere, TBD

JOHANNES BRAHMS "Schaffe in mir, Gott," Op. 29, No.2

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

CATHEDRAL CHOIR & ORCHESTRA OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE

Kent Tritle & Bryan Zaros, conductors

Nola Richardson, soprano

Tracy Cowart, mezzo-soprano

Andrew Fuchs, tenor

Joseph Beutel, bass-baritone

ANTONIO VIVALDI Concerto in D Minor, RV 565

ALISSA FIRSOVA Stabat Mater (New York City premiere)

Francis Poulenc Litanies à la Vierge Noire (1947 version orchestrated with strings and timpani)

JOSE MAURÍCIO NUNES GARCIA Requiem

HOLIDAY CONCERTS

All concerts start at 7:00 pm

Friday, December 10, 2021

Saturday, December 11, 2021

CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT

CATHEDRAL CHOIRS & ORCHESTRA

Kent Tritle & Bryan Zaros, conductors

Halley Gilbert, soprano

Katie Geissinger, mezzo-soprano

Benjamin Britten A Ceremony of Carols

ANTONIO VIVALDI Gloria

Christmas carols

Friday, December 31, 2021

NEW YEAR'S EVE CONCERT FOR PEACE

CATHEDRAL CHOIR & ORCHESTRA OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE

Kent Tritle, Bryan Zaros, & Jie Yi, conductors

Jamet Pittman, soprano

Harry Smith, host

J. S. Bach Dona Nobis Pacem from Mass in B Minor

COMMON "Glory"

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Water Music Suite in D

David Hurd When Night Fell

JOEL THOMPSON Seven Last Words of the Unarmed

Music includes Joel Thompson's Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, the Oscar Award-winning song "Glory" by American rapper Common, singer John Legend featured in the motion picture Selma, David Hurd's When Night Fell, works from Asian composers including Chen Yi, Dona Nobis Pacem from J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor, and "This Little Light of Mine."

GREAT ORGAN: A RECITAL SERIES

All concerts start at 7:30 pm

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

KENT TRITLE, DIRECTOR OF CATHEDRAL MUSIC & ORGANIST

Works by J. S. Bach, George Crumb, Maurice Duruflé, and César Franck.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

David Briggs, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

German, French and English Romantic fireworks, including Julius Reubke's Sonata on the 94th Psalm.

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

SAMUEL KUFFUOR-AFRIYIE, ORGAN SCHOLAR

RAYMOND NAGEM, MINISTER OF MUSIC AT BRICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Works by Chelsea Chen, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Alfred Hollins, Thomas Kerr, and Ad Wammes.

March 1, 2022

Gothic Hymn: Music for Organ and Violin

DANIEL FICARRI, ASSOCIATE ORGANIST

STELLA CHEN, VIOLIN (winner, 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition)

Works for organ and violin, including the world premiere of Ficarri's Gothic Hymn.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

David Briggs, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

The world premiere of David Briggs's transcription of César Franck's Symphony in D Minor.