American Festival Chorus & Orchestra Present Mendelssohn's Elijah April 23
The American Festival Chorus and Orchestra perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall on the campus of Utah State University.
The American Festival Chorus is sponsored by the Department of Music, Caine College of the Arts, at Utah State University.
Tickets are $12, $16 and $18 and available at the Caine College of the Arts box offices located inside the Chase Fine Arts Center, Room 139-B, and the CCA Dean’s office at 1150 E. 700 North; by calling 435-797-8022 or online.
“This is one of the greatest oratorios of all time,” said Craig Jessop, music director for the chorus and dean of the Caine College of the Arts. “It is a true tour de force for choir, orchestra and the soloists.”
The performance features internationally acclaimed baritone Clayton Brainerd; New York Metropolitan Opera singer Carla Rae Cook, mezzo-soprano; Cindy Dewey, soprano, and Cory Evans, tenor, both faculty members at USU; and Ian Stewart, boy soprano.
The oratorio is based on the life of the Hebrew prophet Elijah, whose mission was to destroy the wicked cults of Baal that were introduced into Israel by King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. Elijah is the hero of several Bible stories found in Kings 1 and 2 and is featured in the sacred book of Islam, the Koran. He left the Earth in a chariot of fire, leaving his prophetic mantle and mission to Elisha, his disciple.
“It’s a wonderful offering for the Easter season,” said Jessop. “Though its theme comes from the Old Testament, it resonates with renewal, rebirth and other eternal themes.”
The work was written in 1846 and received instant acclaim at its premiere. Listeners may recognize numbers such as “If With All Your Hearts,” “Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord,” “Thanks Be To God” and “And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth.” The American Festival Chorus will sing the work in English.
“Elijah requires the highest standard of musicianship to really give an effective performance,” Jessop said.
The American Festival Chorus includes 250 singers who live within a 50-mile radius of Logan. The professional American Festival Orchestra is composed of USU music faculty, outstanding musicians in the community and the northern Utah region and top select senior USU students. Principal strings are the Fry String Quartet. The American Festival Chorus is presented by Utah State University’s Caine College of the Arts. Information about the chorus is available online.
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Contact and writer: Julie Hollist 435-755-1890, Julie@tourcachevalley.com
American Festival Chorus music director and conductor Craig Jessop, dean of the Caine College of the Arts, Utah State University.
American Festival Chorus: The American Festival Chorus is an affiliated program of the Department of Music, Caine College of the Arts, Utah State University.
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