Evento

Canto General - Seattle Peace Chorus

The Seattle Peace Chorus sings Canto General composed by famed Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, setting the poetry of Nobel Prize laureate Pablo Neruda.

In 1939, Neruda wrote his epic poem, broadening an earlier version of the work, to become a hymn to all of South America.

This work is a powerful choral masterpiece, accompanied by three flutes, classical guitars, double bass, two pianos, and a vast array of exotic percussion instruments. Theodorakis originally had in mind the Greek bouzouki for the orchestra, and it is a possibility that those instruments will be available this year. The epic piece features contralto and baritone soloists.

Neruda celebrates the wild beauty of the forest and the borderless tracks of the land. In Vegetaciones, he writes, to the lands without name or numbers, the wind blew down from other domains, the rain brought celestial threads, and the Gods of the impregnated alters restored flowers and lives.

The Seattle Peace Chorus, known for its robust choral mission of singing for peace and justice has traveled to Chile on two occasions and has a special relationship with the people and singers of that country. Their host choir, the Choir of the South, provided elaborate hospitality for the Seattle singers in 2013. Highlights of the trip included an evening with the Mapuche people, and several major concerts featuring movements from Canto General and collaborative singing with the Chilenos.