Huntington Choral Society presents Harmonies of the World Concert
The Huntington Choral Society presents Harmonies of the World: A Mass for Our Time, an uplifting and joyous celebration of the multicultural richness of sacred music from around the world. The concert takes place on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 8:00pm and will be held at Huntington High School on McKay and Oakwood Roads in Huntington, NY.
Director Steven Finch created this unique work based on the structure of the Catholic mass, selecting pieces from various cultures and times. Gregorian chant, Leonard Bernstein's A Simple Song, J.S. Bach's Dona Nobis Pacem, and pieces from Latin America, Russia, and the Middle East are woven together, reminding the listeners, as well as the performers, of the interconnectedness of humanity.
The 85-voice adult choir will be joined by children's choir "The Stimson Middle School Showstoppers" and two world-renowned guest artists: Composer and performer Kimba Arem, known for her workshops with Dr. Andrew Weill, will play indigenous instruments from different cultures, including the didgeridoo and Tibetan crystal bowls, while composer and teacher David Hykes will perform two of his own compositions of spiritual harmonic chant.
With this performance, the Huntington Choral Society hopes to foster expressions of peace and harmony in our community through the understanding of music as a universal language. In his book The Healing Energies of Music, Hal A. Lingerman says that in this time of expanding consciousness and global communication, it is important to awaken in each of us a growing awareness and appreciation for all cultures, nations, and traditions so as to develop a more universal perspective. Music of the world can help us move into the larger consciousness of becoming a global citizen; music can help to awaken deeper appreciation and feelings, past, present, and future, of the many places and races on this planet.
Kimba Arem, who has a CD out with Dr. Andrew Weill, is a music and sound therapist. She travels the worlds, giving concerts, workshops, and lectures, on the power of sound to bring about understanding, compassion, and healing to people and the planet. David Hykes also acknowledges the physical nature of music. He says the voice actually comes from the body as a whole, and that we are each a kind of musical composition of different levels of vibration; the heart, mind, and body participate in an extraordinary symphony that takes place in the concert hall of the body.
As the revered Leopold Stokowski said, "Music comes from the heart and returns to the heart." Music also takes us beyond our immediate world, and enables us to sense our shared humanity and global community. In times of crisis, music and the arts are deep sources of comfort, bonding, and upliftment. We hope this evening of music will inspire listeners to bring more harmony and peace into their own worlds, long after they have left the concert hall
Please join the Huntington Choral Society for the premier of Harmonies of the World: A Mass for Our Time.
Tickets: $18 Adults, $15 Students/Seniors. $2 more at the door.
For more information, call 631-421-SING (7464) or visit
www.huntingtonchoralsociety.org
Huntington Choral Society
PO Box 349
Huntington, NY 11743
631-421-SING (7464)
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Since it was formally organized in 1962, the mission of the Huntington Choral Society has been to bring the great choral works of the world to the Long Island Community. The 100 voices of the chorus are complemented by some of the finest professional soloists and orchestras in the metropolitan area. Past concerts have united the Society with well-known orchestras in our area including the New York Virtuosi, Long Island Symphony, Nassau Symphony, and Opera Orchestra of New York in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Tilles Center and Hofstra Universiy.