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Remainder of the 2011 - 2012 SEASON
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G.F. Handel’s Alexander’s Feast
or “The Power of Musick”, an Ode to St. Cecilia
(the patron saint of music and musicians)

Christ Church, Greenwich

Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 4:30

Telling the story of a feast celebrating Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia, this vivid and dramatic work is one of Handel’s most admired, as well as an audience favorite. Described by critics as the first high peak in Handel’s musical mountain range that includes masterpieces such as Israel in Egypt and the Messiah, it is a splendid setting of a poem by John Dryden, filled with grandeur and profoundly rich choral writing.

The work describes a banquet held by Alexander the Great and his mistress Thaïs in the captured Persian city of Persepolis, during which the musician Timotheus sings and plays his lyre, arousing various moods in Alexander. The piece was a great success and it encouraged Handel to make the transition from writing Italian operas to English choral works.

This concert is dedicated to the memory of long-time member Sallie Williams.

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Gershwin and More!
Featuring the Porgy and Bess Concert Suite
Norwalk Concert Hall

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 4:30

A spotlight will shine on American-style works in a performance that will leave you humming with delight. A concert version of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess hits all the most familiar and popular highlights from this iconic composer’s most exciting score. An added treat will be George Shearing’s Songs and Sonnets, showcasing amusing settings of Shakespeare’s poetry, deftly scored for choir, jazz piano, and bass.