The Promise of Living: Handel, Vivaldi, Forrest, Copland

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Experience Vivaldi's beloved Gloria, a unique and vibrant treble voices setting of the traditional Latin hymn paired with two works exploring solace and community: Handel's majestic coronation anthem, Zadok the Priest, and Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living, a poignant prayer for both the departed and those navigating life's struggles. Completing the program is Copland's "The Promise of Living," a cherished American quintet celebrating the enduring values of hard work, harmony with the land and the profound joy of human connection.

The one-night-only event pairs a masterwork choir with a consort of instrumentalists from the Omaha Symphony and artist-faculty and young artists of the Omaha Conservatory of Music, all conducted under the baton of Barron Breland.

ARTISTS

A. Barron Breland, conductor

Karina Brazas, soprano

Résonance Festival Choir

with

Creighton University Chamber Choir and Treble Choir; Matt Hill, director

Sing Omaha Master Chorale and Women's Choir; Matt Hill, director

Résonance Consort Orchestra

PROGRAM

ANTONIO VIVALDI: Gloria

G.F. HANDEL: Zadok the Priest

DAN FORREST: Requiem for the Living

AARON COPLAND: The Promise of Living from The Tenderland

Vivaldi's Gloria is one of his most popular sacred works, setting the complete Latin hymn "Gloria in excelsis Deo" from the Ordinary of the Mass. The unique treble voices rendition was arranged by Vivaldi for performance at the Ospedale della Pietà, where it was likely first performed.

Handel's Zadok the Priest is a majestic anthem composed for King George II's 1727 coronation, setting text from the First Book of Kings about Solomon's anointing. It masterfully blends suspenseful orchestration with powerful choral declarations and brilliant fanfares, creating a joyous and triumphant atmosphere. This enduring work has been performed at every British coronation since its premiere, solidifying its place as a symbol of divine monarchical sanction.

Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living is a five-movement work that draws upon traditional Latin Requiem texts, but also incorporates biblical passages from Ecclesiastes and the Book of Job, reordering and modifying some traditional texts for contextual emphasis. The work is conceived as a prayer for rest not only for the deceased but also for the living in their struggles with pain and sorrow.

"The Promise of Living" is a cherished quintet from Aaron Copland's opera The Tender Land, with text by Horace Everett celebrating community, hard work and living in harmony with the land. It beautifully evokes an American pastoral scene, affirming the cycles of life and the deep satisfaction of shared labor and human connection. Copland's expansive and moving music builds to an uplifting climax, encapsulating the central message that "The promise of living is in the loving."

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The performance is sponsored in part by Creighton University and with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

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