PULLMAN, Wash. – Renaissance “pop” music and songs of longing fulfilled will welcome an early spring at the free, annual Washington State University choral concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at Bryan Hall.
The Madrigal Singers, performing in Renaissance costumes, will present favorite English madrigals featuring the months of spring: The lilting 13th century “Sumer is Icumen In” and 16th century madrigals “Quick, Quick, Away Dispatch/No Haste But Good!” By Michael East, “Too Much I Once Lamented” by Thomas Tomkins, “April is in my Mistress’ Face” and “Now is the Month of Maying” by Thomas Morley, and “Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting by John Farmer.”
The performance represents some of the most popular music of its time.
The WSU Concert Choir’s selections will focus on the theme of “longing,” portraying both the sentiment and the joys of its achievement. Featured will be “Exsultate Deo” by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, “I Have Longed for Thy Saving Health” by William Byrd, “Salve Regina” by Francis Poulenc, “Gratias Tibi” by contemporary composer Tarik O’Regan, “Sehnsucht” by Johannes Brahms and “La Serenata” by Francesco Paolo Tosti.
The women of Concert Choir will perform an arrangement of “I Want Jesus To Walk With Me” by Washington composer Richard Nance, and the men will sing a rousing glee song, “Beviamo (Let’s Drink!)”
Both groups are directed by Lori Wiest, WSU professor of music. The Concert Choir is accompanied by graduate student Alberto Ferro.
Contact:
Lori Wiest, WSU School of Music, 509-335-5647, lwiest@wsu.edu