Find a Business

This Issue

APRIL 2002

Featured >

Going For Baroque

Visitors and newcomers alike will soon discover, as have long time residents, that Gainesville offers a rich array of local talent in the performing and lively arts. The Gainesville Civic Chorus, designated years ago as the official chorus of the city and of Alachua County, is happy to be part of the local arts scene. In total, the Gainesville Civic Chorus, often referred to simply as the GCC, has four performing groups under its umbrella: the Master Chorale, a mixed chorus of approximately 60 voices; the Choristers, a chamber group of 16 to 20 members; the Autumn Leaves, a female barbershop-type quartet; and the GCC Sinfonia, a contingent chamber orchestra called together when needed for large choral presentations.

On April 27th, the Master Chorale and GCC Sinfonia will present a program of music from those wonderful years 1600 to 1750. Entitled, Going for Baroque, this concert will feature works by Dietrich Buxtehude, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach.

The Buxtehude work is one of his cantatas and is typical in structure and form for the period. Based on the hymn tune of the same name, Jesu, Joy and Treasure shows why Buxtehude was so highly regarded by J. S. Bach himself.

While at Cannons, Handel had at his disposal the choral resources supported by James Duke of Chandos. Thus, his eleven full anthems are known as the Chandos Anthems. The Master Chorale will perform number 10, The Lord is my Light.

Vivaldi composed only one musical setting of the Nicene Creed, which carries the simple title, Credo. It is consistent in style with the Credo normally found in full settings of the “Ordinary of the Mass.”

The Master Chorale will conclude the concert with what many regard as Bach’s greatest choral work, Magnificat. This work was first performed on Christmas Day, 1723, at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.

The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53rd Avenue. Tickets are $12 general admission, and $10 for students and senior citizens. Singers interested in joining the GCC may call 376-9930.

Check us out at www.afn.org/~gchorus