Musica Sacra Performs in February

Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra celebrates the 300th anniversary of the birth of the earliest member of the musical Puccini dynasty when it performs Six Psalms and “Magnificat” by Giacomo Puccini the Elder during its concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at St. Francis Xavier Church, 1001 E. 52nd St.

The Psalms and “Magnificat” were published in Lucca, Italy in 1777, and were edited by Martin Banner of New York state from a manuscript in the Istituto Musicale “Luigi Boccherini.” Puccini employed a style that contrasted homophonic with imitative sections and featured dramatic harmonic shifts, sometimes meant to underscore the text. 

Tickets for Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra are $18 for adults, $12 for students and senior citizens. They can be purchased by calling the Central Ticket Office, 816-232-6222, or by logging onto www.rockhurst.edu/mstickets. Tickets are also available at the church before the performance. Artistic Director Timothy McDonald, Ph.D., will present Live Program Notes at 6:15 p.m.