Season Archive
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2009-2010 Concert Season
Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence in Choral Music:
Christmas with the Choral Society
December 12, 2009
Grace United Methodist Church, Des Moines
We kicked off our 30th season of excellence in choral music with the seasonal favorite Christmas with the Choral Society! Performed at Grace United Methodist Church, the concert delivered an evening filled with familiar carols as well as works by Handel, Mozart, Bach, and other noted composers. The choir, orchestra, and soloists celebrated the season, and followed the performance with a silent auction just in time to find the perfect holiday gift!
Timeless Masterworks:
J.S. Bach—Mass in B Minor
February 27, 2010
St. Mark Lutheran Church, West Des Moines
Johann Sebastian Bach assembled what many believe to be the greatest composition in western music, the Mass in B Minor. Set against the lovely backdrop of St. Mark Lutheran Church, the Des Moines Choral Society, chamber orchestra, and soloists performed major portions of this time-honored masterwork: the Kyrie, the Gloria, and the Agnus Dei.
Songs of the Spirit:
Celebrating 30 Years of Singing
April 24, 2010
St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines
We celebrated our 30th anniversary with the singing of American spirituals and hymns. Held at St. Ambrose Cathedral, this uplifting concert put a smile on our face and a song in our heart as we celebrated our community and heritage. The performance was followed by a special 30th anniversary reception.
2008-2009 Concert Season:
Sparks Fly Upward
November 8, 2008
Hoyt Sherman Auditorium, Des Moines
A musical drama of fear, faith and hope! A World Premiere Performance Directed by Timothy X. Troy, Conducted by Maestro Joseph Giunta, Written and Composed by Cathy Lesser Mansfield The Des Moines Choral Society is pleased to take part in the original musical drama The Sparks Fly Upward, the story of three German families, two Jewish and one Christian, thrust headlong into the Holocaust. Written and composed by DMCS board member Cathy Lesser Mansfield, The Sparks Fly Upward uses lush music and rich lyrics to portray the personal struggle of these families as they fight to survive and hold on to each other and their faith.
Christmas with the Choral Society
December 13, 2008, 7:30 PM
St Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines
Celebrating twenty nine years of majestic holiday music! Antonio Vivaldi, Magnificat; J.S. Bach, Dona Nobis Pacem; Dominick Argento, Gloria; Randol Bass, Praeludium Noel . . . plus traditional and contemporary Christmas carols! Program Notes (PDF, 109KB)
Inspiring Masterworks . . . Past and Present
April 25, 2009, 7:30 PM
Basilica of St John, Des Moines
Featuring two Requiem settings—combining the old with the new! A Time-Honored Classic: W.A. Mozart, Requiem. An Iowa Premiere Performance: Mack Wilberg, Requiem. During this evening of musical splendor, you will experience two different Requiem settings in one grand performance. First, Mozart’s famous setting, as completed by his student Süssmayr. Next, Mack Wilberg’s new setting, which departs from the traditional Requiem text to include scripture from Psalms, will soar with a beautiful message of hope and comfort. Together, these Requiem settings provide a perfect opportunity to appreciate a classic masterwork along with a debut work of a celebrated composer and arranger. This is an evening you won’t want to miss!
2007-2008 Concert Season:
Messiah with the Des Moines Symphony
December 1, 2007
Civic Center of Greater Des Moines
Christmas with the Choral Society
December 8, 2007
St. Ambrose Cathedral
“Christmas with the Choral Society” heralds the holiday season on December 8th in the beautiful Cathedral of St. Ambrose. The acoustics of this setting make this a favorite place to perform. We will fill the cathedral with sound, voices and instruments, celebrating the majesty of the Season. This concert is designed to set a festive mood as a glorious prelude to Christmas. In addition to favorite carols, we will offer up a bit of Bach, and some choruses from Handel’s Messiah. We will invite you to lift your voices along with ours, in a fitting tribute to a season devoted to love and community. Mark your calendars now to ring in the spirit. Program Notes (PDF, 118KB)
Masterworks of Hope
February 23, 2008
St. John's Lutheran Church
The Des Moines Choral Society is delighted to offer “Masterworks of Hope” as a part of the St. John’s Lutheran Fine Arts Festival. Hollis Monroe of WOI –FM will host this evening’s concert. Experience the depth and passion of select movements from Joseph Haydn’s “Kettledrum Mass” (Mass in Time of War) as the baleful music of the kettle drums reflects the struggle of Haydn’s homeland, Austria, in a time of war. Next, movements from John Rutter’s Requiem celebrate both victory over death and hope in eternal life. Finally, soar with the uplifting and energetic themes in Choral Fantasy by Ludwig von Beethoven, featuring Elaine Wedeking on piano. Each work elevates the spirit in an exaltation of life. Program Notes (PDF, 100KB)
Destination Iowa
April 26, 2008
First United Methodist Church
April marks a return to our Iowa Heritage Series, this time showcasing Iowa’s immigrants. In “Destination Iowa,” the Des Moines Choral Society pays tribute to the commonality of the immigrant experience—across generations and across cultures. We who call Iowa home have a reason to feel settled here. Partnering with The Council for International Understanding, we will celebrate these reasons in story and song with music honoring a multitude of different backgrounds including German, French, Mesqwaki, Latin American, Norwegian and Czech. We close with a fitting tribute to Governor Robert Ray, whose activism saved the lives of hundreds of Southeast Asian refugees, many of whom now call Iowa home. Join us to celebrate Iowa’s immigrant experience. Program Notes (PDF, 120KB)
2006-2007 Concert Season:
Christmas with the Choral Society
December 9, 2006
Grace United Methodist Church
A tradition continues as the Des Moines Choral Society brings you glorious sounds of the season. Sonorous strings, majestic brass, and the richness of voices weave together within the holiday grandeur of Grace United Methodist Church, lifting spirits and expressing the joy and splendor of Christmas. Join in some of our favorite Christmas carols and share with us selections chosen to reflect the nobility and spirit of the season. After last year’s sell-out concert, we’re moving into larger spaces to accommodate our growing audience. Find out why more and more people are spending Christmas with the Choral Society.
To Life!
February 24, 2007
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
In the historic setting of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, the Choral Society will pay tribute to the Jewish composers who have shaped Western music. No aspect of music lies untouched by their influence. Thus, the first half of the concert will include more serious works by composers such as Leonard Bernstein. Merriment fills the second half of the concert. We will showcase Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin, and later enjoy a performance by the Java Jews. Come experience both well-known and little-known choral treasures with us.
Essential Water
April 28, 2007
Grace United Methodist Church
Water is everything. It is just that profound. It is the very stuff of our being. Its pristine bounty assures our survival. How easy then, to take it for granted. Iowa, bounded by two mighty rivers, faces challenges to a continuing supply of clean water. While various factions debate how to assure clean water for the state for now and for years to come, the fact is, if we pay too little attention, our plentiful supply will diminish. The concert caps Polk County Conservation’s EarthWeek.
In that context, The Des Moines Choral Society will offer an evening devoted to the subject of water to remind the public how vital good stewardship of the water is to our well-being—at every level of experience. Beyond the science of water and the part individuals can play in conserving water, we’ll celebrate its many roles in our lives: the fun we have with water, the salvation water can bring, the drama of storms, the majesty and power of water, and water’s inspiration.
The concert will be an aesthetic reminder of that which refreshes us in body and spirit. Its meditative power laps on the beaches of Iowa's rivers and streams. And its raucous power awakens us on summer's nights.
2005-2006 Concert Season:
Christmas with the Choral Society
December 10, 2005
St Ambrose Cathedral
The Choral Society will present colorful and heartwarming music of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Portions of Bach's Cantata Wachet auf and Rutter's Magnificat will be featured along with time-honored motets, such as Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium. Traditional favorite carols of the season, including the sparkling arrangements of Mack Wilberg, will be presented with chamber orchestra.
Here are some short excerpts from this Christmas concert (mp3 files):
- Arise, Your Light Has Come, by David Danner (596KB | :37)
- Dona Nobis Pacem, by Z. Randall Stroope (811KB | :51)
To purchase a CD of the entire concert, contact dmcs@dmchoral.org.
Choral Classics
February 25, 2006
First Baptist Church
Join the Choral Society for a celebration of choral literature that spans five centuries and features some of history's most beloved composers, including Brahms and Mozart. Newer works by well-known artists will also be featured. Folk songs and spirituals will round out this program of music selected by Artistic Director Dr. James Rodde.
Mother Iowa: Heritage Iowa Series
May 13, 2006
First Christian Church
* silent auction & reception following the concert *
This concert will showcase fascinating women and their influence on the Iowa character. From the mother of an Iowa businessman who persuaded the Nazi SS to release her husband from Dachau, to the mother who tended her son's experimental garden at the dawn of research into hi-bred corn, the narration will tell poignant and humorous stories that are Iowa's legacy. Celebrated playwright Cynthia Mercati returns as the scriptwriter. The Choral Society will sing music requested by some of the subjects profiled in the narration, or by favorite composers, in tribute to the many ways mothers have shaped our lives. We know you will enjoy the stories, the music, the fun, the wisdom - the whole evening. Come early and peruse the items available for Mother's Day gifts (or Father's Day gifts, or any other occasion) in our silent auction. The successful bids will be announced and the items can be claimed during a post-concert reception in the fellowship hall.
2004-2005 Concert Season:
Christmas with the Choral Society
December 10, 2004
First Christian Church
This inspirational Christmas concert will feature the stirring Rutter Gloria with brass and organ accompaniment, Pergolesi's majestic Magnificat, Pinkham's Christmas Cantata, Bach's motet Lobet den Herrn, and a variety of lovely Christmas carols, including an original carol by Alf Houkom, commissioned especially for the Choral Society's 25th Anniversary season. The audience will have a chance to sing a few carols as well. A reception will follow the concert. We hope you can join us!
Liberty & Justice for All
February 18, 2005
Plymouth Church
The Des Moines Choral Society will present "Liberty and Justice for All" celebrating Iowans' historic role in the never-ending struggle to attain civil rights for all people, as part of the Plymouth Fine Arts Series.
The Des Moines Choral Society will be joined by a multiracial cast of local actors in another unique event, including an original script by playwright Cindy Mercati and music that will thrill those who attended the 2003 Civil War concert. In addition to the considerable vocal talents of the Choral Society, the evening's performance will also include performances by the choir from Corinthian Baptist Church. The script will be interwoven with familiar civil rights songs to tell the stories of men and women who fought for liberty and justice in their time. Among those profiled are Ralph and Rachel, former slaves whose ingenuity and friendships earned and maintained their freedom; Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to practice law in the United States and an active suffragist; the black and white soldiers who fought side by side in the Civil War battle at Milliken's Bend; those who traveled and were conductors on the Underground Railroad; Gertrude Rush, Iowa's first African-American woman lawyer and a co-founder of the National Bar Association; Carrie Chapman Catt and other women suffragists; Edna Griffin, who worked tirelessly to integrate a lunch counter in downtown Des Moines; and the black officers, Tuskegee Airmen and WACS who diversified the armed forces.
A Celebration of Singing
May 6, 2005
First Baptist Church
Bach, Brahms, Britten, Bartok, Basler, Busto.... A concert of past masters and contemporary composers. The concert will include:
- J.S. Bach's beloved Easter Cantata, Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ Lay in Death's Strong Bands) for strings and choir
- Johannes Brahms' An die Heimat (To My Homeland), a quartet for piano and voices, written shortly after the composer left his homeland (Hamburg) to move to Vienna
- Benjamin Britten's Festival Te Deum, a brilliant setting of the Te Deum text in English for choir and organ
- American Paul Basler's Alleluia for choir, percussion, and solo instrument
- Spanish composer Javier Busto's unaccompanied Ave Maria