The Classical Singers presents its debut concert, “Heaven + earth, beauty + love”, on 31st August 2016, at St John’s Cathedral, Central, Hong Kong. In this concert, the 8-voice ensemble will sing Mozart’s Ave Verum, Saint-Saëns’ Ave Verum, Brahms’ Geistliches Lied, Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and give the Hong Kong first performance of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ Only in Sleep”.
The programme reflects the group’s interest in presenting sublime and beautiful music in a chamber setting, and to include classical, romantic and contemporary works. The concert starts with Mozart’s classic Ave Verum and contrasts it with Saint-Saëns’ much-loved version. It follows with Brahm’s masterful though not-often-performed Geistliches Lied – a technical tour de force in its use of the double canon as an expressive tool, in its essence a musical prayer and an example of Brahm’s small output of sacred choral music, and continues with more lyrical and luminous music in the form of Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine.
“Only in Sleep” completes the programme – a beautiful a cappella piece with wonderful harmonies and set for an 8-voice choir with a solo part, it was written in 2012 by Latvian choral composer Ēriks Ešenvalds who is delighted that the Classical Singers is giving its Hong Kong debut and explains the piece:
There is almost nothing more to say except to repeat those pure words written by Sara Teasdale in this poem that to remember the years of our childhood and to remember the children we played with is like a precious diamond that makes our life beautiful and so dear.
These were our post-concert reflections.
[download a full-picture PDF version of the 2016 summer concert invite]
[download a PDF version of our programme booklet for the 2016 summer concert]
