Specifics for Notre-Dame Solidarity Concert

Fighting the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris with a deluge gun (photograph by Cangadoba, edited by Philip Terry Graham, from Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license).

This coming Monday evening, Grace Cathedral will host a free Public Solidarity Concert for Notre-Dame de Paris. The program will present a wide diversity of soloists and ensembles. The best way to review this program will be according to its participants as follows:

The program will begin with a performance by the Grace Cathedral Men and Boys. They will give an a cappella performance of Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere mei Deus.” They will then be accompanied by organist Johann Vexo in a performance of the “Sanctus” and “Benedictus” movements from Louis Vierne’s Opus 16 Messe solennelle. Later in the program Vexo will give a solo performance of the opening Allegro movement from Vierne’s Opus 20 (second) organ symphony in E minor.

Members of the San Francisco Symphony will perform two chamber music selections. The third (Andantino) movement from Claude Debussy’s Opus 10 string quartet in G minor will be played by violinists Wyatt Underhill and Jessie Fellows, violist Matthew Young, and cellist Barbara Bogatin. Later in the program members of the brass section will perform a quintet by Michael Kamen. Those players will be Aaron Schuman and Jeff Biancalana on trumpet, Robert Ward on horn, Timothy Higgins on trombone, and John Engelkes on bass trombone.

San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow Kseniia Polstiankina Barrad will be pianist accompanying two sets by vocal soloists. Countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen (also an Adler Fellow) will present two songs by Henri Duparc, “Chanson triste” and “L’invitation au voyage.” He will be followed by mezzo Frederica von Stade’s offering of two selections by Francis Poulenc, “Les Anges musiciens” from La Courte Paille and “Priez pour paix.”

American Bach Soloists will then conclude with both instrumental and vocal selections. The instrumentalists will perform the G major sonata by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault that he entitled “La Félicité.” The American Bach Choir will then join the full ensemble for selections from Cantate Domino a grand motet by Jean-Joseph de Mondonville. Vocal soloists will be Steven Brennfleck (haute-contre) and Constantine Novotny (basse-taille). Jeffery Thomas will conduct. The program will then conclude with Eric Choate’s setting of the “Ave Maria” plainchant.

This concert will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 29. Grace Cathedral is located at the top of Nob Hill at 1100 California Street. This will be a free concert. Admission will be first-come first-served, and the doors will open at 5:15 p.m. Registration is advised but will not guarantee entry. Registration may be made online through an Eventbrite event page.