Houston Chamber Choir Concert: To Bring Comfort
The Grammy® Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir, under the direction of Robert Simpson, presents its second offering of the 2021-22 season with Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms in a concert entitled “To Bring Comfort,” presented in partnership with the Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM).
The concert opens with the premiere of “Hymn for Strength,” a new composition dedicated to caregivers with words by Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean and music by CPAM Director Todd Frazier. This new work will be performed by a choir comprised of representatives from Houston’s healthcare community, led by M.J. Gallop. Brahms wrote his Requiem for the living. He conceived of it as a “human requiem” to offer comfort to those who mourn. Given the losses of the past year and a half and the heroic efforts of researchers and medical professionals, Brahms’ masterpiece expresses emotions of sorrow and gratitude like no other.
The choir will perform Brahms’ own four-hand piano arrangement featuring noted pianist Brian Connelly, Artist Teacher of Piano at the Shepherd School of Music, playing a 19th century Bösendorfer piano similar to one Brahms would have played. Featured soloists are soprano Cynthia Clayton and baritone Héctor Vásquez, distinguished members of the Moores School of Music faculty at the University of Houston.
The concert will be held Saturday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. (in-person) and Sunday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. (virtual release). The choir performs at South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main St, on Saturday, Nov. 6; available on the Houston Chamber Choir Digital Stage starting Sunday, Nov. 21. Single tickets for in-person and virtual concerts range from $10 to $25, with discounts for students, seniors, veterans/military and music educators. Choice-of-four-in-person-subscription and full season digital subscriptions are available at $93.32 and $80 respectively. Go to https://houstonchamberchoir.org/2021-2022-season to purchase single tickets or a subscription.