BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Featuring Admired Carols of Cultures Abroad and Traditional H oliday Sing-Along\nPilgrim Festival Chorus (PFC)\, the region&rsquo\;s p rincipal community chorus will launch their 2012-13 season with the wint er concert A Northern European Christmas on Saturday\, December 1 at 7:3 0 pm\; and Sunday\, December 2 at 4:00 pm\, at The Church of the Pilgrim age\, 8 Town Square in Plymouth. \; PFC Music Director William B. Ri chter will conduct the chorus and soloists accompanied by Elizabeth Chap man Reilly on the church&rsquo\;s treasured pipe organ.\nDemonstrating t he rich cultural heritage\, A Northern European Christmas was conceived as a journey through some of the rich musical traditions of that part of the world. \; From carols which originated in medieval times throug h contemporary compositions\, the program captures the spirit of this jo yful season. \; Repertoire walks the listener through the entire sea son\, exploring works spanning Advent\, Christmas and Epiphany. \; T he concert will offer selections as diverse as carols based on folk tune s\, motets written by Renaissance composers Hassler and Sweelinck\, piec es composed by Bach and Mendelssohn\, and a number of 20th century setti ngs of seasonal texts. \; Countries being highlighted musically are Czechoslovakia\, Finland\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Norway\, Poland\, and Sweden.\nIndividually\, the selections were chosen to provide insig ht into the choral traditions of this revered region\, where musical tex ture satisfies the spirit through repertoire for the season.  \;Seve ral of the selections are from the Piae Cantiones\, a collection of text s dating from medieval times and published in Finland in 1582. \; Th e strong and stirring Personent Hodie (sometimes sung to the text On Thi s Day\, Earth Shall Ring) both opens and closes the concert. \;  \;The work Gaudete\, adapted by Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield\, inc orporates additional English text with the original Latin\, imparting ne w life to the title. \;\nAn arrangement of Ave Maria rings out as th e anticipated program highlight\, created by Franz Biebl in 1964. \; Constructed of the first part of Angelus (Angelus Domini)\, combined wi th the text from the Ave Maria prayer\, the work forms a hybrid from anc ient texts. \; Originally scored abroad for male voices\, the piece was performed first in the U.S. by Cornell University Glee Club. \; Biebl later arranged the work for choral performance\, popularized by th e famed Chanticleer classical vocal ensemble as part of their repertoire . \; &ldquo\;The work is technically challenging to the PFC membersh ip\,&rdquo\; shares Richter\, &ldquo\;offering tight harmonies that reso lve in a passionate sound pleasing to the listener.&rdquo\;\nSeveral 20t h century composers represented in the program\, including Franz Biebl\, Egil Hovland\, Vaclav Nelhybel\, and Max Reger\, offering music that is harmonically rich\, rhythmically vigorous\, and melodically haunting.&n bsp\; The repertoire is a mix of old and new\, and familiar and unfamili ar\, but all of the selections on the program unify to capture the thril l and anticipation of this festive season\, something audiences have com e to expect from the PFC&rsquo\;s winter concerts. \; &ldquo\;We&rsq uo\;ll approach seasonal music in many ways\,&rdquo\; says Richter.  \; &ldquo\;The universal spirit of Christmas transcends the separation o f centuries\, country borders and musical styles. \; We&rsquo\;ll bl end our communities of audience and choral singers together\, creating j oy that brings the spirit\, beauty and love to the Christmas season.&rdq uo\;\nIn their 14th concert season\, the PFC membership numbers more tha n 80 vocalists of all adult ages dedicated to authentic choral singing.& nbsp\; Richter and Reilly customize their approach to each season based on the collective sound the chorus produces. \; Amongst the performa nce\, selected soloists from the chorus will share their talents.\nTicke ts for the performance are priced at $20.00 for adults\, $18.00 for seni or citizens and $15.00 for students over 14. \; Children under the a ge of 14 are admitted free. \; Advance tickets may be purchased onli ne at www.pilgrimfestivalchorus.org\, and are available at the Plymouth Center for the Arts\, 11 North Street\, Plymouth 508-746-7222\; and from PFC members. \; To reserve tickets by phone\, please call Susan at 774-283-4848. \; Complimentary refreshments will be served in the ch urch hall immediately following the performance.  \;For more informa tion on the concert or PFC\, please visit their website at www.pilgrimfe stivalchorus.org\, or follow Pilgrim Festival Chorus on Facebook.\nAbout Pilgrim Festival Chorus\nThe Pilgrim Festival Chorus is a volunteer\, n ot-for-profit\, auditioned singing group dedicated to the performance of choral music\; to give public and private concerts\; to provide a music ally educational opportunity to its members and the public\; and to enco urage and promote choral singing and the appreciation of good choral mus ic. \; The PFC is funded in part by grants from many of the region's Cultural Councils\, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultu ral Council\, a state agency. \; URL:http://plymouth.patch.com/events/pilgrim-festival-chorus-presents-a-n orthern-european-christmas SUMMARY:Pilgrim Festival Chorus Presents: A Northern European Christmas LOCATION:8 Town Sq\, Plymouth\, MA 02360: 8 Town Sq\, Plymouth\, MA END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR