The Golden Gate Men’s Chorus (GGMC), under the direction of Joseph Piazza, presents Giacomo Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, in collaboration with the Peninsula Women’s Chorus (PWC), under the direction of Dr. Anne K. Hege.
An operatic mass or a sacred opera? No matter how you describe it, Puccini’s masterful choral work has it all — drama, beauty, mystery, passion, and the joyful, gorgeous vocal lines that immediately let you know it’s Puccini. Come hear the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus in concert with the Peninsula Women's Chorus this spring in a rarely heard performance of Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. Composed in 1880 and not revived for a second performance until 1952, this rediscovered choral work delights and moves audiences from the opening beauty of Kyrie, the jubilant Gloria, and the drama of the Credo, to the closing prayerful Agnus Dei, with music that hints to many of the familiar Puccini arias we know and love. Tenor Alex Boyer, who recently made his Metropolitan debut and is a resident tenor with Opera San Jose and graduate of the Merola Opera and Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Programs, will be the featured soloist.
Both PWC and GGMC will also perform solo sets. The Peninsula Women’s Chorus’s selection will include the world premiere of “Night into Dawn,” a newly commissioned work written by Theresa Wong, PWC’s Composer-in-Residence and dedicated to the community of Lahaina. GGMC’s solo set will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner in a performance of his sacred motets.