Coro Allegro Presents "Shofar": In Memoriam

Join Coro Allegro and guest artists New England Classical Singers as we honor the memory of Boston artists Robert Stern, Sanford Sylvan, and Donald Wilkinson with music and texts of extraordinary beauty by Stern, Vaughan Williams, and Brahms.

In a time of broken covenants, division, and renewed outbreaks of anti-Semitism, we revisit Robert Stern’s “Shofar,” an oratorio based on the ram’s horn of Jewish liturgy, whose calls, in the composer’s words, “are a metaphor for our human experience—our hope of being whole and our fear of being shattered.”

Stern’s and his librettist Catherine Madsen’s retelling of the story of Moses, the golden calf, and the tablets of the law, was premiered by Coro Allegro in 2006, with an extended version premiered in 2009. “Shofar” has been praised by Gramophone magazine as “deeply affecting” and “a work of dignified power” in a review of Coro Allegro’s 2012 recording “Awakenings” on Navona Records. The performance features acclaimed local soloists soprano Teresa Wakim, who performed in the 2009 premiere and recording, tenor Jonas Budris, and baritones Aaron Engebreth and David Kravitz, who originated the role of God in the premiere.

Also on the program: Ralph Vaughan Williams’ exquisite “Five Mystical Songs,” featuring Ron Williams, baritone, and Johannes Brahms’ poignant “Nänie,” a setting of Schiller’s lament that even the beautiful must die.

Repertoire:

Robert Stern, “Shofar”

Teresa Wakim, Soprano

Jonas Budris, Tenor

Aaron Engebreth, Baritone

David Kravitz, Baritone

Ralph Vaughan Williams, “Five Mystical Songs”

Ron Williams, Baritone

Johannes Brahms, “Nänie,” Opus 82

Supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Media partner: the Jewish Arts Collaborative.

Tickets: A $65, B $45, C $25
Senior/Students: 20% off

Student Special: C $15
Info: (617) 236-4011

Discounts for community groups can be arranged by writing ticketmanager@coroallegro.org

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