Event

Estes Valley Chamber Singers

The Music Festival is pleased to announce the rescheduled concert date of the Estes Valley Chamber Singers on May 1, 2016 at the Stanley Hotel Concert Hall. This concert was canceled due to the heavy snow storm on April 17th.

Now in their eleventh year, the Singers, under the direction of Rich Dixon, have evolved from a group of twelve people, who just wanted to get together and sing good a cappella choral music for their own enjoyment, to sixteen singers whose beautiful tone and blend have led them to being an outstanding ensemble with over one hundred choral works in their repertoire.

"Of Light and Stars," features choral works whose texts refersometimes metaphoricallyto the various forms of light and our fascination with stars.

The concert opens with John Camerons transcription of Edward Elgars Nimrod from Enigma Variations. Cameron has set this beautiful orchestral music to the text of "Lux Aeterna." While the "Lux Aeterna" (Light Eternal) is part of the Requiem Mass, the text has inspired a host of composers to create stand-alone pieces; especially during the 20th century.

Over the last ten to twenty years a number of young composers have come on the music scene; many are part of the "minimalist" movement, which is a reactionary turn to a simpler and more tonal music. Ola Gjeilo is one of those young composers. Today, the Singers perform his Sunrise Mass.

The second half of the program opens with Frank Ticheli's Earth Song which refers to the "light of song, shining strong." Randall Thompsons "Choose Something Like a Star" follows. This well know piece on a poem by Robert Frost is one of six pieces called "Frostiana;" all works on texts by Frost.

Sara Teasdales poem Stars and Morten Lauridsen "Sure On This Shining Night" follows Teasdales poem. The program closes with an arrangement of Disneys "When You Wish Upon a Star."