LAUNCESTON Choral Society and their regular soloists, Gordon Pike, tenor, Ian Hardy, baritone, Dawn Felton, soprano and Margaret Parfitt, alto, will be treating their audience to an evening of glorious melodies on Saturday, November 15 at 7.30pm at Launceston Central Methodist Church when they perform music by Gabriel Fauré and Giacomo Puccini.
Here is another chance to hear Fauré's sublime 'Requiem' together with a probable first for Launceston, Puccini's 'Messa di Gloria.' Puccini is best known for his great operas often set in exotic locations such as 'La Bohème,' 'Madame Butterfly,' 'Tosca' and 'Turandot.' He even wrote an operatic Western.
However, he began life in the family 'firm' at the age of 14, as the third generation of his family to be organist at the church of San Martino, Lucca. A career in church seemed pre-ordained but at the end of his musical studies, at the age of 22, having written the exuberant 'Messa di Gloria,' he decided that in future he would write only for the theatre. His 'Messa di Gloria' is unlike any piece of church music you have heard before, full of exciting rhythms and best of all, glorious tunes. There is probably no doubt that, had he been writing today, Puccini would have been writing exciting theme music for Hollywood movies as well as his operas.
As both the major works in the concert are comparatively short, each of the soloists will be singing an aria or song by Fauré or Puccini and so the audience will also hear such favourites as 'Oh my beloved Father,' 'Your tiny hand is frozen,' 'Après un rêve' and 'En prière.' The guest organist for the evening will be David Robinson from Holsworthy and the concert will be conducted, as usual by musical director, Jonathan Mann.
It is hoped that a large audience will wish to come to this superb musical evening. As usual, there will be a retiring collection, on this occasion for The Army Benevolent Fund.