River City Chorale Ensemble Singers & HHS Chamber Choir present joint concert

The Hudson High School Chamber Choir and The River City Chorale Ensemble Singers will present “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace” by Karl Jenkins on Saturday, February 18th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson High School Performing Arts Auditorium, 1501 Vine Street, Hudson. The concert is free and open to the public. A free will offering will be taken at the end of the evening.

Jenkins, a Welsh composer, wrote the piece to mark the transition from one millennium to the next, to reflect on the passing of the “most war-torn and destructive century in human history,” and to look forward in hope to a more peaceful feature. The Chamber Choir and the Ensemble Singers will perform five movements known as the “The Choral Suite” In addition, the two vocal groups will jointly perform Dan Forrest’s “in paradisum”, a composition that depicts a life of paradise following earthly death.

The Chamber Choir will also perform “Where your Bare Foot Walks” by David Childs, “Peace Flows Into Me” by Jake Runestad and “Sigalagala” a Luo Spiritual by S. A. Otieno.

Selections performed by The Ensemble Singers will include “Verlieh’ uns Frieden” (Grant unto us thy peace, O Lord) by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, John Rutter’s “O Clap your hands” and “Be Not Afraid” by Knut Nystedt. “The Peace of Wild Things”, a beautiful choral piece the describes the world seeking out peace and grace in a difficult world, written by 21st century composter, Jake Runestad, will also be performed.

Conductor Andrew Haase serves as Director of Choral Activities at Hudson High School and Artistic Director of The River City Chorale. Pianist Jodell Krause and a professional Chamber Orchestra will accompany the evening’s performances.