Soprano Dana Fripp
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) teams up with the vocal forces of the Worcester Chorus for Leonard Bernstein’s choral masterpiece and “prayer for peace,” Chichester Psalms, on Thursday, April 28 at the 7:30pm at the Shubert Theater in downtown New Haven. Led by NHSO Music Director William Boughton, this concert’s program highlights will also include Vaughan Williams’ luscious Five Variants of “Dives and Lazarus;” Lambert’s Rio Grande, Tower’s Second Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman and the world premiere of new arrangements of the beloved American spirituals Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; Go Down, Moses; and Steal Away featuring dynamic guest soprano Dana Fripp.
American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein is best known for his musical “West Side Story,” but his musical output and legacy extends far beyond this one landmark work. He once confessed, “The work that I have been writing all my life is about the struggle that is born of the crisis of our century, a crisis of faith.” Chichester Psalms explores Bernstein’s personal relationship with his Jewish faith, with text set in Hebrew and content taken from Old Testament Psalms. The resulting masterpiece, which Bernstein referred to as his “prayer for piece,” moves the listener on a journey from tension and conflict to serene unity.
The NHSO will tackle this masterpiece with the Worcester Chorus. Under the direction of Dr. Christopher Shepard, the 100-member group includes both amateur and professional singers from Worcester County, northern Connecticut, and the Boston area. The Worcester Chorus has appeared with the Hartford Symphony, the American Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall, the Prague Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the symphonies of Boston, Baltimore, and New Haven.
Praised for her beautiful voice, natural acting ability, and compelling stage presence, soprano Dana Fripp has taken on roles across vocal categories and opera styles. A Connecticut favorite, Ms. Fripp has performed at Wesleyan University, Long Wharf Theatre, Connecticut Opera, New Haven Symphony, Opera Theatre of Connecticut, Shubert Theater, and Orchestra New England, amongst others. She has toured northern Spain and the midwest United States with the New England Spiritual Ensemble, a Boston-based a cappella African-American vocal group. Ms. Fripp is a founding member of The Elm City Vocal Ensemble, a group of classically-trained African-American vocalists and educators, based in New Haven.
The NHSO will host a community panel discussion prior to the performance at 6:30pm in the Shubert Theater. The discussion will center on the “marginalized” American voices represented by the composers on the concert program and the influence of those voices on American music. Led by New Haven Independent reporter Lucy Gellman, the panel will include Yale School of Drama professor and NHSO Board Director Matthew Suttor, and Kenyon Victor Adams, Yale Institute of Sacred Music Artist in Residence.
Tickets: Adult tickets are $15 – $74. College student tickets are $10 and KidTix (children ages 7-17) are free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Blue Star tickets for active military personnel and their immediate family are free. For tickets and information call 203.562.5666 or click here.
The NHSO and Worcester Chorus will repeat this program on Friday, April 29 at 8:00pm at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. For tickets and information, visit http://www.musicworcester.org/MW/events/schedule-and-tickets/worcester-chorus-nhso/.
The NHSO will play a special repeat performance of Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” as well as Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass” with the GMChorale (Greater Middletown Chorale) on May 1, 2016, at 5:00 pm at the Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School. Tickets and information about this performance can be found at http://gmchorale.yolasite.com.
Pre-Concert Activities:
Symphony Supper: Indulge in a delicious Symphony Supper with other music lovers at Taste of China prior to the performance; visit NewHavenSymphony.org or call 203.865.0831 x18 for details.
Prelude: Join the NHSO for an intriguing panel discussion with New Haven Independent reporter Lucy Gellman, Yale School of Drama professor and NHSO Board of Directors member Matthew Suttor, and Kenyon Victor Adams, Yale Institute of Sacred Music Artist in Residence from 6:30-7:00pm in the Shubert Theater.
Chichester Psalms is co-sponsored by Seabury at Home. The performance of Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman received support from the Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy. Symphony Suppers are sponsored by ARIA, a subsidiary of Guilford Savings Bank. The Classics Series media sponsor is the New Haven Register. KidTix and Blue Star Tix are sponsored by Frontier Communications.
