From our friends at the Cathedral Choral Society...
Powerful Work Opens Chorus' 74th Season
The Cathedral Choral Society will present the opening concert of its 2015/16 season, Haydn Creation, on Sunday, October 18 at 4:00 p.m. The Cathedral Choral Society, conducted by Music Director J. Reilly Lewis, will be joined by soloists Danielle Talamantes, soprano; Peter Scott Drackley, tenor; and Kenneth Kellogg, bass.
Haydn’s The Creation is a classic, powerful, nearly two-hour work that paints a musical picture of sun and stars, mountains and rivers, birds and beasts as they emerge into being. Finished in 1798 after Haydn heard Handel’s enormous works Messiah and Israel in Egypt, The Creation was Haydn’s crowning achievement. Told through the words of Genesis, Psalms, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, the oratorio is divided into three sections that represent chaos, creation, and the story of Adam and Eve. The Cathedral Choral Society will perform the oratorio in English.
“This is one of the most important works in the choral canon,” said Music Director J. Reilly Lewis. “To hear it in Washington National Cathedral, surrounded by such vibrant representations of creation in the art and architecture of this venue, will be a special experience. We are excited to open our season with this remarkable work.”
The Cathedral Choral Society is pleased to feature soloists Danielle Talamantes, soprano; Peter Scott Drackley, tenor; and Kenneth Kellogg, bass. Danielle Talamantes, soprano, is an international recitalist who made her Carnegie Hall debut in a sold-out recital in 2007. She first earned a spot on the Metropolitan Opera roster in 2011, and made an excited stage debut at the Met in the 2014/15 season as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen.
The Baltimore Sun has written of Peter Scott Drackley, tenor as having “an impressive lyric tenor voice…summoning credible emotional intensity.” He has performed locally with the Annapolis Opera, Richmond Symphony, and Lyric Opera Baltimore, and trained with the Utah Festival and Sarasota Operas. DC native Kenneth Kellogg, bass is an alum of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera, and sang two summers as a Wolf Trap Opera Filene Young Artist. He has performed with opera companies in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tampa and more, and is currently appearing as Zuniga in Washington National Opera’s Carmen.
A pre-concert talk by Jim Shepherd, Director of Facilities and Preservation at Washington National Cathedral, will be presented at 3:00 PM. The talk will begin in Perry Auditorium (in the Cathedral tower), and then proceed on a tour. The focus will be on symbols of creation in the Cathedral’s sculpture and stained glass.
In the spirit of celebrating “creation,” local environmental organizations will be present at the entrance of the Cathedral, sharing information about their work in our community.
“We have invited environmental and conservation organizations with a local focus to showcase their mission and programs as way of celebrating not only the Creation story but also our planet,” said Genevieve Twomey, Executive Director. “We hope that this music can serve as a way for our audience to pause and reflect on the natural world.”
For Tickets: Regularly priced tickets begin at $25. Tickets for children and students with valid ID under the age of 25 are $15. Seniors, veteran, and military may receive 10% off (excludes Premium Nave). Season subscriptions are still available and provide the best seating at the best price. Free surface parking is available on the Cathedral grounds; $10 event parking is available in the Cathedral garage. To purchase tickets, or for additional information, please call (202) 537-2228; (877) 537-2228 or visit the website, www.cathedralchoralsociety.org.
About the Cathedral Choral Society: The Cathedral Choral Society is the resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral. Now in its 74th season, the 140-voice chorus presents an inspiring concert season at the Cathedral and shares the joy of choral singing throughout the Greater Washington, DC Area through its community engagement programs.
