Concerts
All performances begin at 7 p.m.
“Live Program Notes” at 6:15 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009
Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra opens its season with outstanding works by Antonio Vivaldi, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Felix Mendelssohn. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth, Musica Sacra will perform one of the composer’s rarely heard chorale cantatas, Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten. This work reflects the structural influence of Johann Sebastian Bach and the richness of early romantic harmonies. Palestrina’s “Missa Brevis” represents the opulent polyphony of the late 16th century, while Vivaldi’s “Credo” infuses a sacred choral genre with dramatic flair and sensibility.

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009
Musica Sacra presents its popular annual Christmas concert by performing works from 18th-century Italy. Rich with melodic content, the chorus and orchestra will perform Francesco Durante’s Magnificat, Luigi Boccherini’s Gloria and Arcangelo Corelli’s “Christmas” Concerto. Boccherini’s Gloria presents a rarely heard choral/orchestral work by a composer almost exclusively known for his instrumental music. The orchestra will perform Corelli’s “Christmas” Concerto, composed by the founder of modern violin technique and featuring a charming pastorale. Durante’s music incorporates plainchant and glorious Neapolitan baroque melodies. The concert concludes with traditional Christmas carols.

Saturday, Feb. 20 , 2010
Salzburg, home to the Mozart family, also is the site of one of Europe’s most exquisite cathedrals. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, like his father, Leopold, composed a wealth of music for this extraordinary city as did Johann Michael Haydn, younger brother of Franz Joseph. This “Music in Salzburg” concert will feature W.A. Mozart’s Missa Brevis in B-flat, K. 275, and Johann Michael Haydn’s “Laudate Pueri” and “Ave Maria.” These two composers/performers wrote in what was described as the “sweet” Salzburg style.

Sunday, April 18, 2010
In honor of Rockhurst University’s Centennial, Musica Sacra will perform two of the most joyful and celebratory works in the choral/orchestral repertory. Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum, from the glorious French baroque, was composed for a Jesuit church in 17th century Paris. W.A. Mozart’s sublime and jubilant setting of Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339, incorporates brilliant choral writing and an exciting orchestration with trumpets and timpani drums.