BRATTLEBORO — The Blanche Moyse Chorale, an affiliate of the Brattleboro Music Center, will present Der Geist Spricht (“The Spirit Speaks”) on Friday, May 13, at 8 p.m. in Bellows Falls, and Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m. in Brattleboro.
Under the direction of Mary Westbrook-Geha, the Chorale will perform a varied program of sacred works by a single composer: the German baroque master Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672). While this program will obviously appeal to confirmed Schütz lovers, it will also bring enjoyment to anyone who appreciates a rich choral sound and finely crafted harmonic and rhythmic tapestries.
For this concert, Westbrook-Geha has selected two motets, Selig sind die Toten and Ich weiss das mein Erlöser lebt, followed by Psalm 116, Das ist mir lieb . The final selection will be Schütz's Musikalische Exequien, a setting of a Lutheran funeral rite.
Throughout the concert, the Chorale will sing in 6-part, 7-part, and 8-part harmony, with contrast provided by occasional solo ensembles. During the Musikalische Exequien , continuo support will be provided by Daire FitzGerald, cello, and Gregory Hayes, baroque organ, both of whom are well known to Brattleboro area audiences.
Since 1991, Hayes has taught piano and harpsichord at Dartmouth College, where he is a senior lecturer in music. He has performed on various keyboard instruments with the Springfield, Albany, and Vermont Symphony Orchestras, with the Arcadia Players (Northampton), and with the Orchestra of St. Luke's (New York City). He has participated often in the New England Bach Festival, the Marlboro Music Festival, and the Mohawk Trail Concerts series. Hayes is also the longtime music director for the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence.
FitzGerald, an Irish-born cellist, has toured throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, both as soloist and as chamber musician. She is a member of the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble and has performed with many other chamber music institutions in New York City, including the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, and Barge Music. She is a co-founder of the Strathmere Ensemble, and is also the Music Director of the Bridge Theatre Company in Washington Heights.
Having spent many years performing at the New England Bach Festival, FitzGerald views Blanche Moyse as one of her greatest teachers, and is delighted to be back playing with Mary Westbrook-Geha and the Chorale.
The Blanche Moyse Chorale, founded in 1978, is a chamber chorus of about thirty voices that strives to attain the high level of musical artistry exemplified by its original director, Blanche Moyse. Although based in the Brattleboro area, the Chorale includes singers from neighboring states and beyond.
The Bellows Falls concert will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 13, at Immanuel Episcopal Church (the “Stone Church”), 20 Church St. The Brattleboro concert will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St.
Tickets are $18 for general admission, and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Brattleboro Music Center, 802-257-4523, 38 Walnut St.; from Chorale members; or on-line at www.bmcvt.org. For more information, call the Brattleboro Music Center at 802-257-4523.