On 21 March, the Stonewall Chorale, the first US gay and lesbian choir, will present “From Estonia with Love”, a concert that features works by two of Estonia’s most esteemed composers, Arvo Pärt and Tõnu Kõrvits, and will be performed at New York’s Church of the Holy Apostles.
Featured on the program is Pärt’s Berliner Messe (Berlin Mass) and the NYC premiere of the full version of Tõnu Kõrvits’ Kreek’s Notebook, an imaginative work that uses early Estonian folk songs and hymns. Kõrvits is coming in from Estonia for the concert and will give a pre-show talk at 7:00 pm.
Kõrvits has given these folksongs a fresh spin and the choir is to present his eight-movement work with full string orchestra. Coupled with Pärt’s towering Berlin Mass, the programme aligns with the choir’s mission of presenting choral classics as well as avant-garde and experimental pieces from emerging composers.
In preparation for the program, the choir has been working with native Estonian speakers and meeting with the local Estonian residents to present a well-informed and authentic performance.
Based in New York, the Stonewall Chorale is the first American gay and lesbian choir. The choir’s mission is to enrich people’s lives through learning and performing beautiful choral music, and to nurture and celebrate the GLBT community.
Advance tickets to “From Estonia with Love” are sold for US$25 (US$20 for students/seniors) and can be purchased online at stonewallchorale.org.
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Cover: Stonewall Chorale.
