The Stonewall Chorale Performs ETERNAL LIGHT 3/28

The Stonewall Chorale, the first mixed-voice gay choir in the U.S., presents its annual spring concert, entitled Eternal Light, featuring Duruflé’s Requiem, and choral works by Elgar, Mawby and Grainger, at the Church of the Ascension, 5th Ave at 10th St., one of NYC’s finest acoustical spaces. The event will be taking place on Saturday, Mar. 28, 8 pm at the Church of the Ascension,
5th Ave. at W 10th Street, New York, NY.

The 50-voice choir of gay men and women, now in its 32nd season, presents its annual spring concert with one of the most important choral works of the 20th century. Written in 1947 as a tribute to the composer’s father, Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem occupies a central place as one of the major choral works of the 20th century.  Like the Fauré Requiem to which it is often compared, it emphasizes hope and transcendence. Cynthia Powell is the conductor, with Christopher Creaghan, organ, and Allison Sniffin, French horn.

Maurice Duruflé (1902 – 1986) received his early training at the choir school at the cathedral in Rouen where he was immersed in the music of Gregorian chant. For years he served as organist of St.-Etienne du Mont in Paris. He achieved fame as an organist, traveling on concert tour throughout Europe, Russia, and the U.S. until his death in 1986. His choral and organ compositions comprise some of the best works of the French post-impressionist school.

The Stonewall Chorale is honored to present this concert at the Church of the Ascension, a space noted for its extraordinary acoustics and for the historic Duruflé Retrospective concerts in the late 1980’s. Dr. Dennis Keene, the church’s organist-choirmaster, presented the complete works of Duruflé, with Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, the composer’s widow present. It was thru these historic concerts that the famed Voices of Ascension came into being.

Admission is $30. Tickets in advance are $25 through http://brownpapertickets.org/ or through Stonewall website: www.stonewallchorale.org. For more information call: 212-971-5813.

The Stonewall Chorale is the nation’s first gay and lesbian chorus, founded in 1977. It has established itself as an important cultural presence in the NYC performing arts scene. The Chorale gives three concerts a year in venues that include Merkin Hall, St. Peter’s, Chelsea, Carnegie Hall, Church of the Ascension, Riverside Church, Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall.

Repertoire ranges from works by the great classical composers to contemporary works by Ricky Ian Gordon, Eric Whitacre, Chris De Blasio, Gerald Busby and Meredith Monk. On several occasions, the Chorale has offered pops concerts with headliners like Liza Minelli, Tovah Feldshuh, and Marni Nixon.

The Stonewall Chorale was the first openly gay and lesbian organization to receive a Community Arts Project award from Lincoln Center. Community service events include St. Vincent's Hospital
Memorial Service, the LGBT Center’s Garden Party, Kristallnacht commemorations, U.N. High Commission on AIDS, and Gay Pride celebrations. In 2002, the Chorale welcomed Cynthia Powell as its artistic director. Under her direction, the Chorale has performed major works by Handel, Mozart, Orff, Vivaldi, Faure, Vaughan Williams and Britten to sold-out audiences. The Stonewall Chorale recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a wide range of celebrations, including the choral premiere of Meredith Monk's Book of Days. They recently performed Monk’s Ascension Variations at the Guggenheim Museum.

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