Grand Forks Master Chorale to present 'Faure's Requiem' in concert; guest organist also will conduct master class for organists, pianists

Pamela D. Knudson, Grand Forks Herald
·2 min read

Oct. 20—The Grand Forks Master Chorale will present its first concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1600 Fourth Ave. N., Grand Forks.

The concert will feature a masterwork by Gabriel Faure, titled "Faure's Requiem," with guest organist, David Summers.

Summers is director of music at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge, La., where each week he conducts a fully-professional church choir. He also serves as dean of the Baton Rouge chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Summers also will present a free master class, "The Creative Use of the Organ in Worship," for area organists and pianists at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21 at UND. To reserve a spot in the class, send an email to Dean Jilek, UND assistant professor of music and director of choral activities, at dean.jilek@und.edu, or call the UND music department at 701-777-2644.

Summers, who also teaches organ lessons and Gregorian Chant group singing lessons, studied piano and choral music education at the University of Akron and Louisiana State University. He went on to study the organ at the University of North Texas.

At Saturday's concert, the Master Chorale will be joined by UND's Concert Choir and Chamber Orchestra. The choral-orchestra version of the "Requiem" is a shortened version of the Catholic "Mass for the Dead."

Faure, one of France's foremost composers, wrote the "Requiem" between 1887 and 1890, most likely as a tribute to his father who died in 1885. In the "Requiem," sung mostly in Latin, he distilled some of the most beautiful melodies he ever composed. Among Faure's best-known works are "Pavane" and "Clair de lune."

Tickets for the concert are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $5 for students with a student ID. To purchase tickets in advance, email Jilek at dean.jilek@und.edu.