Telluride Choral Society: Spring Sing , Friday 3/28

17 Mar Telluride Choral Society: Spring Sing , Friday 3/28

Spring is in the air. (When the snow isn’t flying and the wind isn’t blowing like stink.) And so is the sound of music.

Rhonda Muckerman, director, Telluride Choral Society

The Telluride Choral Society announces its 20th annual SpringSing. The rescheduled concert takes place Friday, March 28, 7 p.m., at Telluride’s Christ Church.

Inspired in part by the Durango Choral Society’s “Saints and Sinners” program, artistic director, Rhonda Muckerman selected music of the greatest “most saintly” composers of our time (Morton Lauridsen, Eric Barnum, Malcolm Dalglish) and paired those sounds with music by a sinner or two. (Mozart was a known partier, dying at the age of only 33.)

Choral Society, preparing for SpringSing

Morton Lauridsen’s “O Nata Lux” is truly heavenly and pairs well with Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus,” guaranteeing the audience a view of the pearly gates. The theme, “Rhythm of Saints,” is a nod to international composer Paul Simon, whose “He Loves Me Like a Rock” is on the program.

The concert also includes modern settings of spirituals and pop music by Moses Hogan, Leonard Cohen, and Rollo Dillworth.

Local composer Dalen Stevens’ song “I Ain’t No Sinner, I Ain’t No Saint” has its Telluride premiere at Friday’s concert. The jazzy tune with vivid and detailed text takes us on a historical tour through the lives of St. Patrick, St. Lawrence, and other saints. And just for the record, Dalen is a professional trombonist, singer and composer who has performed with the Choral Society since its inception in 1995; he regularly composes pieces specifically for program themes.

“Rhythm of the Saints” features about 30 local musicians in a number of ensembles, including the Chorale, Chamber Singers, Jewel Tones, Renaissance Singers and selected soloists.

The Telluride Choral Society is celebrating 20 years in the region. Sixty singers, from kids through adults, perform annually in our WinterSing, SpringSing and KidSing concerts. It is also possible catch them in a random act of culture around town. Rhonda Muckerman has been the artistic director for the last four years, working to bring high quality choral repertoire to Telluride audiences, as well as music that is accessible and enjoyable by all. Their diverse programming includes contemporary and classical choral repertoire, folk, and pop music from around the world.

Tickets to Friday night’s concert are $15/adults and $8/students, and are available at the door. For more information, call (970)729-0082.