National Cathedral Offering Free Concerts During Week-Long “Seeing Deeper” Program

Washington, D.C. – Washington National Cathedral will be presenting two free concerts as part of its second annual “Seeing Deeper” program. During the week of January 12–16, thousands of chairs will be removed from the Cathedral’s nave, opening the space and showing the nave as it would have looked during medieval times.

To commemorate this transformation, the Cathedral is featuring a week of programming that explore the themes of expansiveness, immediacy and insight, including two concerts, presented by the Cathedra Choir, which are free and open to the public.

On Monday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST, the choir, in partnership with the Embassy of Norway will present music celebrating the life of Knut Nystedt, one of Norway’s foremost composers, who passed on December 8, 2014 at age 99. “Nordic Nocturne: Light from Darkness” will also premiere a new commission by Anglo–Norwegian composer Andrew Smith, as a tribute to Nystedt.

On Thursday, January 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST, “The Cosmography of the Spheres” will evoke the tradition of liturgical drama with the presentation of two dramatic works by Baroque composer Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas and Saul and the Witch of Endor.

Media are invited to both events and are encouraged to list the events in their community arts calendars. To RSVP for the events or for more information, please contact Natalie Butz at the West End Strategy Team at (202) 776–7700 or via email at [email protected].