Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra,(BCCO)
Ernest Bloch Avodath Hakodesh and Maurice Durufle Requiem
Friday, June 7, 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 8, 3:00 pm
Sunday June 9, 3:00 pm
Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley Campus
Ming Luke, conductor
Sara Couden, contralto
Simon Barrad, baritone
General admission, no tickets issued. The Concert is free, donations welcome.
Music Director Ming Luke leads the Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra, BCCO, in a concert that features two works that each "...harken backward and also reach forward in time." (Ming Luke)
Ernest Bloch's Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service), commissioned by Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco in 1929, is a powerful musical rendition of the Jewish Sabbath morning service. Bloch uses texts from the service to convey universal themes of peace and humanity with spiritual meaning relevant to all people. Luke comments "...the Bloch brings the Jewish liturgy into an oratorio and concert setting for audiences beyond its Jewish origins....with each phrase vivid and energized by Bloch's writing." The piece includes text to be spoken in the language of the particular audience, which is a plea for peace and recognition of the brotherhood of all mankind.
Featuring a full orchestra and professional soloists, the concert pairs Aovdath Hakodesh with the beloved Requiem of Maurice Durufle. Describing the Requiem Luke says "The constantly changing meter of vocal lines recreate ... the gentle undulations of the (Gregorian) chant in the Durufle" which is then set in a modern orchestration of the Requiem mass. Luke notes "... individual voice parts often each have their own melody." The overlapping lines flow effortlessly to form a poignant musical liturgy. .
Come hear these two stirring pieces drawing from different religious traditions in a concert that speaks to all of humanity.