Westminster Choir to present 'Listen' concert Jan. 9
The Westminster Choir, conducted by Joe Miller, will present a concert titled "Listen" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Grace United Methodist Church, 300 E. Gartner Road in Naperville. Advance tickets are $12; $10 for seniors, 65 and older, $5 students at www.peopleofgrace.org/concerts.
The program is centered on Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir, one of the great masterworks of the 20th century's a cappella repertoire. Described by Martin as a matter between him and God, the mass remained on his desk for 40 years after he completed it in 1926. Since the first performance in the Netherlands in 1962, it has grown in popularity among lovers of fine choral music. The audience will be introduced to another sound world with a performance of György Ligeti's "Lux Aeterna," written in 1966 and made famous in Stanley Kubrick's film "2001 - A Space Odyssey."
The choir will also perform two works with themes of peace written by Westminster composers: "Little Lamb" by Joel Phillips and "Peace Song," composed for the Westminster Choir by Tim Brent. Other works on the program are by Edward Bairstow, Nilo Alcala and Randall Thompson.
Reflecting on the program's title "Listen," Maestro Miller says, "Listening to the human voice has great power to connect people from differing creeds and backgrounds. It allows us to understand in a way that can be difficult to describe. In a time when our society seems to be focused on our differences, I hope that this concert and this music will encourage the audience to take a moment to be still and strengthen our ability to listen." A podcast of Dr. Miller previewing the program is available on Apple Podcasts and at www.rider.edu/westminsterchoir.
Setting the standard for choral excellence for 97 years, the Westminster Choir is composed of students at Westminster Choir College, a division of Rider University's Westminster College of the Arts. It has been the chorus-in-residence for the prestigious Spoleto Festival USA since 1977, performing both in concert and as the opera chorus.
The ensemble's 2017-2018 season includes a concert tour of the Midwest performances and broadcasts at its home in Princeton, its annual residency at the Spoleto Festival USA, and the release of a new recording. Its performance of John Adams' El Niño, conducted by Joe Miller, at the Spoleto Festival was praised by The New York Times as " … superb. Meticulously prepared, the chorus was remarkable for its precision, unanimity and power."
Praised by The New York Times for its "full-bodied, incisive singing," the Westminster Choir also forms the core of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with the leading conductors and orchestras of our time.
Joe Miller is conductor of two of America's most renowned choral ensembles: the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir. He is also director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
In addition to his responsibilities at Westminster Choir College, Dr. Miller is artistic director for choral activities for the renowned Spoleto Festival USA. His debut performance, a staged production of John Adams' El Niño with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, the Westminster Choir and an international cast, earned critical acclaim. The Financial Times praised, "the driving minimalistic iterations of Adams' score securely projected under Joe Miller's direction."