Charis Chamber Voices will present Carols & Lullabies, featuring a program of traditional carols and seasonal choral works, including Benjamin Britten’s celebrated Ceremony of Carols and a complimentary work by San Francisco composer Conrad Susa, Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest.
Two performances are scheduled in area churches: on Sunday, December 7, at 4 p.m., at Bedford Presbyterian Church, Village Green, Bedford, NY, and on Saturday, December 13 at 8 p.m. at South Presbyterian Church, 343 Broadway,Dobbs Ferry, NY.
Charis, an auditioned chorus of 28 men and women from Westchester County, NY, was founded in 1994 by Susanne Peck. This is Charis’s first season under the artistic direction of Vince Peterson, an accomplished choral director, pianist and composer. Charis is renowned for its diverse repertoire, unique blend of voices and captivating performances.
Britten (1913-1976) based his Ceremony of Carols on poetry and carols from the 15th and 16th centuries. He arranged them on a perilous North Atlantic crossing in 1942 aboard a Swedish cargo ship - a most unlikely setting for the lilting, joyous music that emerged on that five-week journey to the composer’s native England. Ceremony debuted in 1943, and quickly achieved worldwide popularity. More than 40 years later, Susa (1935 -) was asked to write a choral work to pair with the Britton. After several years of “writhing in doubt,” Susa wrote, he found inspiration in traditional carols from Spain, Puerto Rico and Mexico. The language of Britten’s work is Middle English. Susa’s Carols and Lullabies incorporates several Spanish dialects as well as English, and is accompanied by harp, guitar and marimba.
In addition to Britten and Susa, the concert will feature traditional carols spanning the 14th to 20th centuries, including the Ding dong! Merrily on High, A Spotless Rose, Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, Wexford Carol, This Christmas Night, I Wonder as I Wander, King Jesus Hath a Garden, andIn the Bleak Midwinter. The audience will be invited to join in singing popular carols as well.
We invite you to attend our reception immediately following the concert.
Tickets are
$25 ($20 seniors/students)
If the online "Order By" dates have not passed, you will see buttons to purchase tickets online below. Tickets will be held at the Will-Call desk at the concert venue.
Otherwise, call 914-931-6575. Limited tickets available at the door.
General Admission: $25
Seniors/Students: $20
For more information, please call 914-931-6575
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