Kate O’Neill
Hopewell Valley Chorus Presents a World Premiere For Its 50th
On May 23, music lovers from throughout central New Jersey can be the first in the world to hear “In the Arms of Music,” a new cantata by Matthew Harris. The piece was commissioned by the Hopewell Valley Chorus in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
Accompanied by a 21-piece chamber orchestra, the chorus will premiere the piece under the baton of artistic director Marjorie Herman. The Trenton Children’s Chorus, an outreach partner of the Hopewell Valley Chorus, will sing in two of the piece’s six movements. The afternoon’s soloists are soloists are Thomas Kane, Valerie Nelson, Drew Nielsen, Erika Scheig, Diana Urbaniawicz and Renee Warias. Qawiyya Haqq, from the Trenton Children’s Chorus Training Choir will also perform a solo. In addition, singer Katie Krampf, winner of the 2010 Hopewell Valley Chorus Scholarship, will perform her audition winning song, "I Know Where I’ve Been."
Each movement of "In the Arms of Music" is a different poem about singing or music. One of the poems, Earth Music, was written by former Princeton resident Deborah Mitchell.
In addition to premiering the commissioned piece, the Chorus will sing music from each decade of its history including music by Purcell, Hindemith, Jerome Kern, and Alice Parker.
The concert will take place on Sunday, May 23 at 3 p.m at the Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, Walnut Lane at Franklin Avenue, Princeton, NJ. For tickets and information, call 609-737-3177 or email [email protected]. Tickets may also be purchased on the Hopewell Valley Chorus Web site: www.princetonol.com/groups/hvchorus.
