In the year 1616 Burckhard Grossmann, a merchant from Jena, Germany, after surviving a near death experience, in gratitude commissioned 16 composers from central Germany to write settings of Psalm 116. Among them were master composers of church music such as Heinrich Schütz, Christoph Demantius andJohann H. Schein. Our program will feature motets from this collection by these three composers, as well as works from the early Renaissance to the Baroque times by Adrian Willaert, Orlando di Lasso, Johann Bach andJohann Sebastian Bach. Text and music for contemporary settings of the psalm 116 have been commissioned for Crescendo. The works of composers Jonny Priano, Cheng-Chia Wu and Juan Mesa with poems by Bruce McEver, Frances Roth and Juliet Mattila will be premiered.

Performers are Crescendo Chorus and Soloists, with Period Instruments, directed by Christine Gevert.

Friday, May 17 at 6 pm – Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
Saturday, May 18 at 6 pm – Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT

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