CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — An afternoon of calm and renewal is promised at “Winter Comfort,” the next concert by the choir of the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, known as BACH.
“Winter Comfort” will be presented on Sunday, March 8, at 4 pm, at McKinley Memorial Presbyterian Church, located at 801 South Fifth Street in Champaign.
The hour-long concert will include music for choir, organ, and vocal solo, grouped by themes of love, wisdom, peace, mystery, and rebirth. Franz Biebl’s popular Ave Maria will be featured, along with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Josef Rheinberger’s Abendlied.
BACH Music Director Sarah Riskind said, “When the choir practiced the Abendlied for the first time, there was a collective sigh. At the end of a long winter, many of us are looking for ways to nourish our spirits. This concert will transport you away from your troubles, with some of the most exquisite choral music ever written.”
Other composers on the program include Hildegard von Bingen, Thomas Tallis, Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Max Janowski, Maurice Duruflé, Margaret Bonds, and Moses Hogan.
A non-profit founded in 1996, the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana specializes in making music of the Baroque era relevant to modern audiences, while also performing music from all time periods. The group’s 40-plus members are a mix of experienced amateurs and professional musicians. Dr. Sarah Riskind is in her fifth year leading the group.
BACH’s season will continue with a May 31 concert entitled “As the Deer Longs.” On June 16, the choir will perform in the opening concert of the Five Cities Baroque Festival. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for students, and are available at baroqueartists.org or at the door.