Centenary Camerata, Prísma Vocal Ensemble to present concert November 17
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary Camerata and Prísma Vocal Ensemble will unite this fall to present a concert in Anderson Auditorium at Centenary’s Hurley School of Music. The concert on November 17, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. features Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, James Eakin III’s Great Flowing River, and Dan Forrest’s A Bronze Triptych. The event is free and open to the public.
Camerata is the select chamber choir from the Hurley School of Music, while the Prísma Vocal Ensemble brings together both professional musicians and other accomplished singers from across the Shreveport/Bossier area.
The Martin Mass, scored for double chorus and also completely a cappella, is considered one of the most challenging works in the choral canon. Camerata will sing one of the choirs while Prísma manages the other.
“I am thankful that Adam Philley, Prísma’s artistic director and a member of the Hurley faculty, has agreed to join Camerata this fall,” says Cory Wikan, Camerata director and acting dean of the Hurley School of Music. “The Martin Mass is very important for music students to learn but too demanding for Camerata to tackle alone. We are able to do this magnificent work justice by collaborating with Prísma.”
Prísma is in its seventh season as a community chorus and artistic director Philley is excited about the opportunity of partnering with Camerata and Centenary’s Hurley School of Music.
“The Martin Mass is a favorite of mine as well as many of the singers in my group,” says Philley. “We hope that audiences will enjoy this haunting work, not often performed due to the musical demands of the piece. We are ecstatic to be able to perform this work in Shreveport.”
The Eakin and Forrest pieces are quite different in style and instrumentation, though author Charles Anthony Silvestri wrote the texts for both selections. Eakin’s piece includes vocal, violin, and cello soloists. Forrest’s selection is composed for chorus, hand bells, percussion, and piano four-hands. Eakin, a 2000 Centenary graduate, is assistant professor of music at the Hurley School and an accomplished composer of concert, television, and film music. Dr. Paulina Villarreal, assistant professor of music at Centenary, will perform the solo section of Eakin’s Great Flowing River for the concert.