Eternal Light at The Church of the Covenant

LOUIS VIERNE, Messe solennelle

MORTEN LAURIDSEN, Lux Aeterna
ILYAS ILIYA, Avoonan Dbishmayy

BRENDA PORTMAN, Scherzo

Guest Artist
Jerrick Cavagnaro, organ

BUY TICKETS

Coro Allegro, Boston’s LGBTQ+ and allied classical chorus, led by David Hodgkins, opens the season with Eternal Light—a program of three radiant works that offer reflection, beauty, and solace in uncertain times. From grand organ-powered masterpieces to an intimate a cappella prayer, this concert invites the listener on a journey of spiritual and emotional depth.

The program features two monumental choral works performed with award-winning organist Jerrick Cavagnaro: Louis Vierne’s Messe solennelle and Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna. Vierne’s 1901 setting is a powerful blend of late Romantic fervor and shimmering impressionistic color.

Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna—“eternal light”—provides a luminous counterpoint: a chant-inspired meditation on peace, remembrance, and transcendence. Composed in response to personal loss, it has become one of the most beloved and life-affirming choral works of our time.

Between these two pillars, Coro presents Ilyas Iliya’s Avoonan Dbishmayya, an evocative a cappella setting of the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic. Rooted in ancient tradition, the work offers a moment of quiet reverence and spiritual connection.

Jerrick Cavagnaro will also perform Scherzo, a recent composition by Brenda Portman. 

Join us for an afternoon of music that kindles hope, honors beauty, and offers light in dark times.