Singers will lift their voices at the University United Methodist Church this Sunday, but it won’t be the congregation singing.
Those voices will be the 100 from the San Antonio Mastersingers in their fall debut performance. Here’s Chair Chancey Blackburn.
“It's our season opening concert. We're performing Mozart's Solemn Vespers with violins and trumpets and trombones and cello, bass, timpani. It's going to be really quite wonderful,” Blackburn said.
Seventeen members of the San Antonio Philharmonic will provide the music for the Mastersingers.
“We have a unique collaboration between the San Antonio Mastersingers and the newly formed San Antonio Philharmonic,” she said. “So we're hopeful that many people will join us for this concert and help the mastersingers, help the musicians, not just for this concert, but for many more to come.”
Blackburn says among the pieces played will be Mozart’s Solemn Vespers, which she describes this way.
“It's a sacred choral work composed by Mozart in 1780 with six movements. We're also performing Faure’s gorgeous Cantique de Jean Racine, and the anthem composed for the marriage of His Royal Highness, the Prince of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. And a rousing number by Shawn Kirchner,” Blackburn said.
This concert also marks the debut of the Mastersingers’ new music director.
“The chorus and orchestra will be conducted by Dr. Yoojin Moon,” she said. “She's the new music director for The Mastersingers and a rising star in the choral world. This is national debut concert with the Mastersingers.”
She says the venue they’re playing will be a great place to hear this kind of music.
“We're performing at University United Methodist Church, a wonderful sanctuary this Sunday, October the 23rd 3 p.m. And the acoustics in that sanctuary are just unparalleled,” she said. “They're just wonderful.”
Blackburn also said that in December for the first time in three years, the Mastersingers will be performing Messiah.
