A lesser-known work by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, a rousing anthem by Englishman Ralph Vaughan Williams and an Irish blessing by American composer Elaine Hagenberg will be featured in a pair of concerts by South Holland Master Chorale.
The free Sunday concerts will be presented May 17 at 4 p.m. at Thorn Creek Reformed Church, 1875 E. 170th Street, South Holland, Illinois, and May 31, at 4 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 10701 Olcott Avenue, St. John, Indiana. The 70-member Chorale, directed by Philip J. Bauman, will be accompanied by Marilyn Bourgeois on piano, Kevin J. Vaughn on organ, and the SHMC Chamber Orchestra.
Opening the concerts will be “O Clap Your Hands,” a jubilant setting of Psalm 47 by Vaughan Williams. The psalm calls to exalt God as the king of “all the Earth” with hands, voices and instruments. Scored for choir, brass and organ, “this work fulfills its purpose of ‘filling a great cathedral with joyous sounds’,” Bauman said. A fun tidbit, he said, is that a loop from the anthem, performed by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Willcocks, was used for the song “Revolution 9” by the Beatles.
While Vaughan Williams’ anthem was intended for “a great cathedral,” Dvorak’s “Mass in D Major” originally was composed for the dedication of a chapel at the summer residence of Dvorak’s friend and patron Josef Hlavka. Because of the size of the chapel, the choir had to be limited in size and no orchestra was possible. Thus, Dvorak originally scored the work for choir with only organ accompaniment. Five years later, Dvorak produced an orchestral version, which will be performed in the Chorale’s concerts.
“Dvorak is a masterful tunesmith,” Bauman said, “lending his gift of melody and drama to the Mass that clearly reflects his humble faith and his true joy of life. The Mass is more lyrical and prayerful than dramatic,” he said. “Its character has often been described as pastoral, reflecting Dvorak’s love of nature and evoking the tranquil countryside. It is one of the most eloquent testimonies to Dvorak’s relationship to humankind, to God, and to nature.”
The concerts will close with Hagenberg’s “You Do Not Walk Alone,” an ethereal setting of a traditional Irish blessing. “Voices, strings and piano hint at Celtic musical elements with a melody that ascends and descends over the Irish hillside, as flecks of Celtic rhythms delicately grace the scene,” Bauman said. “In times of darkness and uncertainty, or in everyday life, this work offers hope and comfort. It reminds us that you do not walk alone, and that you have companionship through all life has to offer.”
For more information, visit www.southhollandmasterchorale.org/classical-concerts/#mass.