Indulge yourself, with "An Evening of French Music", presented by the Hunterdon Symphony and Hunterdon Choral Union at 7:30 pm on Saturday, April 30, at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, 84 Route 31 North, Flemington.
The Symphony, conducted by Lawrence Kursar, will perform Bizet's Suite No. 1 from "Carmen", Ambroise Thomas' Mignon: Overture, Debussy's Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun, and Delibes' March and Procession of Bacchus. Conductor David Lockart will lead the Choral Union in a performance of Durufle's Ubi Caritas and Faure's Requiem, with soprano Nicole Rowe and baritone Steven Snow.
The orchestral pieces were all written within 30 years of each other by French composers in the latter part of the 19th century, and all were based on literary works: novels for the operas Mignon and Carmen, and poems in the instance of the selection from Delibes' ballet Sylvia and Debussy's Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun. Though he disliked the term when applied to music, Debussy is considered the father of Impressionism in music.
Faure's Requiem, a beautiful choral work first performed in 1888, expresses not fear of death, but offers a message of tranquil solace to the bereaved. In an interview in 1902, Faure explained that he saw death "as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than a painful experience." He also said that after so many years of accompanying burial services on the organ, "I know it all by heart. I wanted to write something different."
Tickets are $20 general, $10 for seniors and students, and are available through www.hunterdonmusicalarts.org, or the following local merchants (cash or check only): Califon Book Shop, Clinton Book Shop, Teaberry's Tea Room in Flemington, Minette's Candies in Frenchtown, and This and That on the Corner in Milford. Tickets will also be available at the door on the evening of the concert. For more information, visit the website. To request an accommodation for a disability, call 908-713-1360.
Representatives from The Princeton Japanese Association will be present at this concert to connect with people interested in contributing to relief funds for aid in Japan. They will be accepting donations of cash or checks for either the Lions Club International Foundation Japan Emergency Fund, or the Save the Children Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund.
Nicole Rowe, a junior at North Hunterdon High School, recently performed the role of Christine in the school's production of "Phantom of the Opera." She also had featured roles in North Hunterdon's musicals in both her freshman and sophomore years, and is a member of the school's Show Choir and Chamber Choir. A resident of Clinton Township, Nicole studies voice with Ms. Joyce Kliszus.
Steven Snow, a graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, is equally at home on opera and theater stages and in concert halls. He has performed in the tri-state area as well as other parts of the United States and Canada. He recently sang the tenor solos in Mozart's Requiem with Masterwork Chorus and will return this summer to sing the tenor solos in Verdi's Requiem. He has a vocal studio in Whitehouse Station and is co-founder of the Hunterdon Vocal Workshop, an intensive summer training program for singers age 13-19.
Conductor Lawrence Kursar, who is in his 21st year with the orchestra, holds degrees in conducting, in French horn performance and in music education from New England Conservatory and the College of New Jersey. In addition to his role as conductor of the Symphony, Mr. Kursar teaches instrumental music at Woodglen School in Lebanon Township and performs with the Mainstreet Brass Quintet, Crosswinds Trio, and regional orchestras.
David Lockart is completing his first year as Director of the Choral Union. He is District Supervisor of Music for the North Hunterdon Voorhees High School District, where he as conducted choirs and taught music theory and voice for 31 years. He has performed many times with the Hunterdon Symphony and Choral Union, most recently in April 2010 when he performed the tenor solos in a performance of Mendelssohn's Symphony No.2.
Don't miss the opening concert of our 2011-2012 season, Saturday, November 5, 7:30 pm at the Hunterdon Central High School auditorium in Flemington.
