The Trumpet Shall Sound
PostClassical Ensemble & Washington National Cathedral Choir conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez
Kevin Deas, bass-baritone
Chris Gekker, trumpet
This one-of-a-kind program intermingles classic spirituals with classic religious arias, exploring an expression of religious fervor common to both. The arias sample Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and St. Matthew Passion; Handel’s Messiah and Judas Maccabeus; and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. The spirituals sample arrangements by Harry Burleigh and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Burleigh (1866-1949), once Dvorak’s New York assistant, played a crucial role in bringing spirituals into the concert hall. His “Deep River” transcriptions, in 1916, created what was for decades the iconic African-American spiritual. As a baritone soloist, Burleigh’s specialties included Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was a black British composer who discovered his African roots in Washington, D.C. His “Negro Melodies” for solo piano (1905) were a landmark in bringing spirituals to wider attention.
Our featured soloist is the supreme African-American bass-baritone Kevin Deas (“stentorian” – Anthony Tomassini, The New York Times)
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Admission
- $20 - $65, Student tickets $10
- VIEW AVAILABILITY
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Dates Offered
- February 4, 2017 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm