Mastersingers present The Ensemble on Jan. 30
The Ensemble is known for bringing early music to life.
And the Portland-based vocal group will bring its skill and talent to the Tri-Cities on Jan. 30 for a one night-only performance in Kennewick.
Mid-Columbia Mastersingers is presenting the concert.
“The Ensemble sings a lot of Renaissance and Baroque-era music. That’s their wheelhouse, their specialty,” said Justin Raffa, Mastersingers artistic director. “I think it’s great because you can’t hear a lot of that in the Tri-Cities.”
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
The Ensemble is directed by Patrick McDonough.
The Ensemble sings a lot of Renaissance and Baroque era music. That’s their wheelhouse, their specialty. I think it’s great because you can’t hear a lot of that in the Tri-Cities.
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The Kennewick performance will center on Officium Defunctorum, a requiem for Maria of Spain by the Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria.
“Throughout the work, Victoria weaves a tender, glowing musical tribute to Maria using the ancient plainsong melodies of the Requiem Mass. Written for six parts, The Ensemble will perform this most exquisite work with a single voice on each part,” said information from the Mastersingers.
The Mastersingers and Tri-City soprano saxophone player Mike Bryan also will join The Ensemble for settings of Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Tarik O’Regan.
The O’Regan pieces are contemporary — the composer is a 38-year-old Brit — but “he’s drawing from early musical styles,” Raffa said.
In the pieces, “the old and new come together, which is always really interesting to me,” Raffa added.
Raffa and The Ensemble’s McDonough will present a “Behind the Music” talk a half-hour before the concert, sharing about the collaborative process and the works to be performed.
Although early music is centuries old, there are plenty of through-lines and connections, Raffa said.
“The human psyche, human emotion — those things haven’t changed,” he said.
And neither has this: “Good music is good music is good music, regardless of when it was written, regardless of what language it’s in, regardless of what forces are involved,” Raffa said. “We strive to provide the best music we can. And a professional group from Portland is going to bring it.”
Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door. K-12 students are admitted for free. A group rate also is available.
Tickets are available at 509-460-1766, www.midcolumbiamastersingers.org and the door.
St. Joseph is at 520 Garfield St.
Sara Schilling: 509-582-1529, @SaraTCHerald
IF YOU GO
What: Mid-Columbia Mastersingers present The Ensemble, a professional vocal sextet from Portland.
When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30.
Where: St. Joseph Catholic Church, 520 Garfield St., Kennewick.
Cost: $20 in advance and $22 at the door. K-12 students are admitted for free. A group rate also is available.
Tickets are available at 509-460-1766, www.midcolumbiamastersingers.org and the door.
This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Mastersingers present The Ensemble on Jan. 30."