Event

A Celebration of Psalms

A Celebration of Psalms, a concert sung by the St. John's Choirs combined with the Choir of Congregation Beth Israel (a Church and a Temple located one block apart), with guest singers from Temple Beth El and instrumental ensembles. The concert begins at St. John's with a chamber orchestra of eight strings; after a half hour intermission, it continues at Congregation Beth Israel, concluding with Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" in the composer's colorful chamber arrangement for symphonic organ, harp and percussion. Other psalm settings include "How lovely is thy dwelling place" from Brahms's Requiem; Psalm 23 by Franz Schubert, Psalm 133 "Hine Ma Tov" in two settings by Contzius and Naplan; two chant settings of Psalm 150, Telemann's delightful three-movement Psalm 117, Purcell's "I was glad," Palestrina's "Sicut Cervus," anthem settings by West Hartford composers Peter Niedmann and Peter Stoltzfus Berton, and Stephen Schwartz's "By the Willows" from "Godspell." Shuttle transportation provided for concert-goers with mobility concerns; park at St. John's. Tickets $10 general admission/$7 seniors and students.

Set in the Gothic architecture and gracious acoustic of St. John's Episcopal Church, built in 1909 to plans by the architectural firm Cram & Goodhue, and the magnificent 1936 Sanctuary of Congregation Beth Israel. A Reception follows. Ticket discount of 50% when presenting the Greater Hartford Arts Council's Let'sGoArts card (www.letsgoarts.org); purchase ticket at half price online and pay the difference at the door if you are without the card (don't leave home without it...)

Made possible in part by a grant from the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.