Choral Artists of Sarasota hope to inspire in new season concert programs

Like many Sarasota area arts leaders, Joseph Holt is feeling “cautiously optimistic” that the new performing arts season will see a return to something resembling normal after more than two years of pandemic-interrupted shows.

“Last year was spotty at best,” said Holt, the artistic director of Choral Artists of Sarasota. “There were certain programs that we had better support for, particularly our opera program, which was hugely successful. But the premiere of ‘Listen to the Earth’ didn’t get the attention we hoped that it would when we scheduled it two years ago for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.”

The theme for this year’s 44th season theme is “United in Song,” which opens at 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at Church of the Redeemer with “Say a Little Prayer,” a musical exploration of religious and inspirational music.

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“Prayer is part of every religion on the face of the planet and I felt we’re all heavily praying for a better world.” Holt said. “There’s not only the Christian tradition, but the Jewish, Native American, Buddhist, Islamic, Moorish. There are all these wonderful traditions that come into play and we’ve created a wonderful mosaic of pieces.”

They include the well-known “Amazing Grace,” and The Lord’s Prayer, as well as the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. The concert also happens around the Day of the Dead, a major holiday in Mexico, and All Souls Day.

The program will be performed by the full 30-member professional chorus, accompanied by organ, piano, strings and harp.

A one-hour version of the concert will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey.

The opening concert, like most of the rest of the season, is designed to “provide some type of nurturing experience,” Holt said. “That has been weighing on my mind, doing things that comfort people, provide a sense of calm amid this pandemic.”

At 7 p.m. Dec. 11, the ensemble will present “Peace on Earth,” which will feature traditional holiday carols, interspersed with “In Terra Pax” by British composer Gerald Finzi.

“He wrote it at the end of his life in the 1950s and it incorporates a bit of the English countryside and the comfort of angels, the birth of the Christ child and what that means to the world,” Holt said. It will feature soprano Danielle Talamantes and baritone Kerry Wilkerson as soloists.

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At 7 p.m. March 5, Choral Artists will present the 2012 oratorio “The Children’s March” by Philadelphia composer Andrew Bleckner, which will be narrated by Sarasota resident and well-known NPR and PBS correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

Holt originally planned to present it in 2021, but the concert was canceled because of the pandemic.

“It makes sense to do it this season because of what we’re facing in this country, the misperception of what racism means in this country,” he said.

It goes back to an event in 1963 when children marched in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama, where they were met with dogs, baseball bats and firehoses.

Holt said the first third is an overview of the social climate in the United States in the 1960s, and the slavery and racial issues that came before Congress and the Supreme Court. The second portion leads up to the march itself and the involvement of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. It ends with a sense of calm, advances made since the mid-1960s and “a hopeful scenario for the future.”

“Bach Du Hirte Israel, hore,” set to the 23rd psalm, will be presented at 7 p.m. April 16.

“It’s very familiar and comforting and very pastoral in a way,” he said. It features a connection to the Mozart Requiem, “one of the most dramatic and well-known versions of the Christian rite of burial.”

The concert will feature soprano Adelaide Boedecker, alto Laurel Semerdjian, tenor John Kaneklides and bass William Socolof.

The group’s season will end with its traditional July Fourth “American Fanfare” concert at 4:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera House, and feature the return of the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble.

All other concerts will be presented at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota.

Throughout the season, Holt will lead “Meet the Music” programs from 5:30-7 p.m. on Oct. 20, Dec. 1, Feb. 23, April 13 and June 22 at Art to Walk On, 16 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota.

For subscription and ticket information call 941-387-4900 or go to choralartistssarasota.org.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Concert season: Choral Artists of Sarasota seek to inspire in 44th year