The Chichester Psalms is comprised of three movements, and the libretto is entirely in Hebrew. Each movement is based on the text of a complete Psalm, paired with an excerpt of another Psalm. The official Leonard Bernstein website describes the work:
Chichester Psalms juxtaposes vocal part writing most commonly associated with Church music (including homophony and imitation), with the Judaic liturgical tradition. Bernstein specifically called for the text to be sung in Hebrew (there is not even an English translation in the score), using the melodic and rhythmic contours of the Hebrew language to dictate mood and melodic character. By combining the Hebrew with Christian choral tradition, Bernstein was implicitly issuing a plea for peace in Israel during a turbulent time in the young country’s history.
Other works in this concert will include pieces by Morton Lauridsen, Frank Ticheli, Dan Forrest and Leonard Cohen. The ticket price is $5 for students and $10 for all others. Tickets available at the door or from the choristers. Audience members are strongly encouraged to wear masks during the concert. Choristers have completed a COVID screening and taken a rapid test prior to singing unmasked in the concert.
St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church is easily accessible via the ION. See GRT link.