Ridgewood NJ, Experience the crashing of cymbals, the power of over 100 voices, and thesonority of two pianos and a percussion ensemble as the New Jersey Choral Society presents “O Fortuna – A Celebration of Hope and Joy” featuring Carl Orff’s epic masterwork “Carmina Burana.” The Connecticut Choral Society and the NJCS Festival Youth Chorus, directed by Noelle Dachis, will join NJCS in this exciting performance, which will be held on Saturday, June4 at 8:00 pm at the West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe St., Ridgewood.
The exhilarating program, under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, focuses on Carl Orff’s scenic cantata “Carmina Burana,” based on 24 medieval poems, which cover a wide range of topics, including the fickleness of fortune and wealth, the ephemeral nature of life, the joy of the return of spring, and the wonders and joy of food, drink and physical love. This eclectic collection was written in Latin, Middle High German and French and included fragments of musical notation suggesting it was used as a songbook in 11 th and 12 th centuries.
Messages of goodwill and humanitarian understanding are also represented in the diverse program through such inspirational works as “Lux Aeterna” by Abel Di Marco, “Peace” by Daniel Brewbaker, the profoundly moving “Inscription of Hope” by Z. Randall Stroope, and the musically inventive “Sizzle!” by Nathan Daughtrey.Pianists Linda Sweetman-Waters and Ruth Draper, along with a Percussion Ensemble, will accompany the choruses. Guest soloists Megan Knapp (soprano), Nathan Munson (tenor) and Peter Kendall Clark (baritone) will also be featured. A procession of 90 local Boy and Girl Scout troops as well as a local Color Guard presenting flags of the world will open this spectacular concert.
Advance tickets are $35.00 for adults and $30.00 for students, seniors, and patrons with disabilities. (Add $5.00 at the door). A 10% discount for groups of 10 or more is also available. Come one hour prior to performance time for The Inside Line, a complimentary lecture for all ticket holders that provides an intimate and entertaining preview of the music. For reservations or more information, visit www.NJCS.org or call the New Jersey Choral Society at (201) 379-7719.
The West Side Presbyterian Church is wheelchair accessible. Funding has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
