Evento

Central City Chorus presents "The French Connection"

Central City Chorus, directed by Phillip Cheah, closes its 37th season with The French Connection, choral settings of French poetry by French (and non-French) composers, all of whom celebrate a significant anniversary in 2018. The concert will be held at St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church on West 87th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue in Manhattan on Saturday, June 2nd at 7:00 p.m.

The title of the concert, borrowed with tongue firmly in cheek from the famous 1971 American crime thriller film, references the French thread that is present in every work and composer on this program. Lili Boulangers "Soir sur la plaine", written when she was 19, was an elimination work for the Prix de Rome (which she won in 1913 as the first woman ever to be awarded the coveted prize). The exuberant "Salut printemps" by Claude Debussy was also composed for the Prix de Rome when Debussy was virtually the same age as Boulanger. Leonard Bernstein, who studied with Lili Boulangers sister, Nadia, wrote his "French Choruses from 'The Lark'" as incidental music to the Jean Anouilh play about Jean dArc. Rainer Maria Rilke's French poetry are exquisitely set by both Paul Hindemith in his "Six Chansons" and Morten Lauridsen in 'Dirait-on' from his Rilke cycle "Les Chansons des Roses".

Tickets are $25 ($20 student/seniors) at the door and $20 in advance. For more information, please visit www.centralcitychorus.org.