Southborough – On Sunday, March 3, at 3:30 p.m., Assabet Valley Mastersingers with orchestral accompaniment will present a highly unusual concert at St. Mark's School in Southborough.? Voices of Light will merge the legendary silent film masterpiece “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (Carl Dreyer) with live performance of a sensational oratorio by award-winning composer Richard Einhorn.
The 1928 film was lost and not rediscovered until the 1980s, when the composer began work on his music, later premiered in 1994. The original screenplay is drawn from actual trial transcripts and compresses the action into one very intensely emotional day, using extreme close-ups and extreme camera angles to extraordinary effect. Einhorn's music accompanying the silent film draws from various ancient writings and correspondence that Joan had dictated to a scribe, altogether creating a starkly compelling experience.
The Mastersingers chorus will be joined by four stellar vocal soloists, soprano Jean Danton, mezzo Jacque Wilson, tenor William Hite, and baritone Robert Honeysucker, as well as orchestra and the renowned Worcester Children's Chorus (Jennifer Kane, Director) – all under the baton of AVM Artistic Director Robert P. Eaton.
Boston College Fine Arts professor, documentary film-maker, and Film Studies Program Director John J. Michalczyk will present a pre-concert lecture at 2:40 p.m. in the concert hall, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Dr. Michalczyk's documentaries have explored issues of moral courage, discrimination, war and peace, with the aim of giving voice to those working for peaceful resolution and greater understanding in many parts of the world.
The auditorium at St. Mark's School, 25 Marlboro Rd. (Route 85) in Southborough, is accessible to the physically challenged. Primary parking will be at Woodward School, 28 Cordaville Rd. (Route 85), with a free shuttle service.? Assistive listening systems, courtesy of Crossroads Community Foundation, are available at all concerts for use by hearing impaired audience members. Large print programs will be offered to those desiring enhanced readability.
Concert tickets may be purchased at Robinson Music Company, Westborough; Shattuck's Pharmacy, Northborough; Shrewsbury Federal Credit Union, Shrewsbury; English Garden Florist, Southborough;? Robinson's Hardware in Hudson; and both Joy-Den Jewelers and Main Street Café in Marlborough.? Tickets are priced at $25 for general admission and $20 for students and senior citizens, and are also available through the AVM website. Advance purchases made at the retail outlets may be discounted by $3 each. If tickets are not sold out, at-the-door prices will be reduced by $3 for WGBH members.
For further information call 978-562-9838 or reference www.avmsingers.org. Partial funding for the Assabet Valley Mastersingers, a non-profit organization, has been provided by the Avidia Bank Charitable Foundation and by the Massachusetts Cultural Council through local Arts Councils.
