Soli Deo Gloria

Premiere of Sandstrom's "God Be Merciful"

October 29, 2011
Westminster Choir College
Bristol Chapel
Princeton, NJ

Andrew Megill, conductor
Westminster Kantorei

When Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström traveled to the U.S. for the premiere of his SDG-commissioned, a cappella choral work God Be Merciful, little did he, or the choir at Westminster Choir College, know what lay in store for them. Despite the wild weather brought on by a surprise early winter snowstorm, the concert went on, and Sandström's work uplifted the spirits of the listeners with its sonorous chords and unique rhythmic textures.

In sessions preceding the performance, the students were thrilled to meet and interact with this world-renowned composer. Mr. Sandström talked with them about his desire to create "smooth and beautiful sounds" and shared this personal statement: "Before I die, I wish to see church music flowering as it was in 1650."

Commissioned by Soli Deo Gloria, in cooperation with the Sacred Music Department at Westminster Choir College, God Be Merciful is the third premiere in the SDG Psalms Project,

See God Be Merciful for information on the commission and premiere.

Premiere of Sharafyan's "Have Mercy on Me, O God"

September 25, 2011
Zipper Concert Hall
Colburn School of the Performing Arts
Los Angeles, CA

Dilijan Chamber Music Society
Movses Pogassian, Varty Manouelian, violins
Gina Coletti, viola
Vardan Gasparyan, cello
Daniel Plaster, tenor

The Dilijan Chamber Music Series, dedicated to showcasing traditional pieces of Western classical chamber music, as well as Armenian chamber works, performed the world premiere of Vache Sharafyan's work for string quartet and tenor, Have Mercy on Me, O God. As one audience member so eloquently stated:

"The painful, querying, pleading and searching quality with which he began ("Have Mercy on me") led to pianissimo major chords in the strings, as if the prayer had become a breath being taken or a heartbeat in anticipation of further prayer." - Grant Barnes, Esq.

Mr. Sharafyan is one of the most important living composers from Armenia and is an official composer for The Silk Road Project founded by cellist Yo Yo Ma. This new work, based on Psalm 51, is deeply influenced by the espressiveness of Armenian medieval sacred hymns.

See Have Mercy on Me, O Lord  for information on the commission and to hear the premiere of this work.

"St. Matthew Passion" Concert & DVD Filming

July 5, 2011
St. Denis Basilica
Saint-Denis, France

John Nelson, conductor
Werner Güra, Evangelist
Stephen Morscheck, Jesus
Lucy Crowe, soprano
Christine Rice, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Matthew Brook, bass
Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
Maîtrise de Paris
Schola Cantorum of Oxford

 

Against the majestic backdrop of the St. Denis Basilica, a seventh-century abbey church on the outskirts of Paris, a worldwide audience watched a live performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion via the Internet, on Medici’s state-of-the-art website, www.medici.tv. Responses from the virtual audience ranged from "Stunning" to "Magnificent!" One viewer wrote:

"Without exception, each of the principal musicians performed to the reach and magnitude of Bach's demands. I must praise Werner Güra's unflagging artistry in that demanding role. His performance provided indefatigable continuity to the whole Passion. "Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen"...what colors Nicholas Phan created! He wholly embodied his character's conflict and affections. Lucy Crowe's "Aus liebe" unveiled Bach's translucence and depth. Her accompanying trio gave the consummate performance, in perfect balance at all times. These are just a few examples, but I could continue with similar praises for each soloist, choir, and instrumentalist.

Rarely in a lifetime does one experience such an undertaking of artistic depth and magnitude as John Nelson and Soli Deo Gloria's production of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. I felt humbled and blessed to be in the presence of this powerful and tender work, brought to life by a superlative ensemble of artists. How can I thank you enough?"

- Jennifer Whiting, conductor, DeKalb Festival Chorus and Celebration Chorale

The concert was also filmed for a future DVD release, as part of The Soli Deo Gloria Collection. Visit "St. Matthew Passion to Join DVD Series" for more on the Soli Deo Gloria DVDs. Sign up for e-news to receive notices about our DVD releases.

Premiere of James MacMillan's "Alpha and Omega"

June 4, 2011
Rockefeller Chapel
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL

James Kallembach, conductor
Rockefeller Chapel Choir
University of Chicago Motet Choir

This "Best of Rockefeller" Gala Concert featured the world premiere of James MacMillan's Alpha and Omega, a six-minute a cappella choral work commissioned by Soli Deo Gloria, based on the text of Revelation 21:1-6a: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth."

The vision for this commission was inspired by Dr. Lane Dennis, President and Publisher at Crossway, whose idea it was to foster a great musical work in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the creation of the King James Bible in 2011. Crossway also publishes the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible from which the text for MacMillan's piece was taken. See "Soli Deo Gloria Commissions New Work from James MacMillan" for the full text, as well as additional information:

• Remarks from commission sponsors
• Video biography of James MacMillan produced by the Boston Symphony
• SDG Advisory Director Jeremy Begbie's comments on MacMillan's Seven Last Words from the Cross
• Project reflections from SDG CEO Chandler Branch
• Links to audio samples of James MacMillan's music

"Alpha and Omega is a lovely miniature surely crafted and distinctive in the vein of MacMillan’s music. Under the direction of James Kallembach, the University of Chicago Motet Choir and Rockefeller Chapel Choir gave a rich and polished performance and the Scottish composer was on hand to share in the warm applause."
- Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review

Also see Alpha and Omega for information on the commission and to hear the premiere of the work.

Premiere of Peter Bannister's "Psalm 96"

May 6, 2011
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, MI

Chichester Psalms
    by Leonard Bernstein
Psalm 96 (world premiere)
   by Peter Bannister
Ein deutsches Requiem
    by Johannes Brahms

John Nelson, conductor
Season finale of the Calvin College Artist Series

At the conclusion of a two-week residency on the Calvin College campus, conducting masterclasses, rehearsing with the choirs and orchestra, and meeting with students, SDG's Artistic Director, John Nelson, led the college choral and orchestral forces in the closing concert of the season for Calvin College’s Artist Series 2011. The gala evening featured the premiere of Peter Bannister’s SDG-commissioned work Psalm 96, along with Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Brahms’ Requiem. 

Martha Guth, soprano
Gerard Sundberg, baritone
Calvin College Capella
Calvin College Campus Choir
Calvin College Orchestra

See "John Nelson Conducts Brahms, Bernstein and Bannister Premiere at Calvin College" for more information on the concert.

See Psalm 96 for more information on the commission and to hear the premiere of this work.

Chicago Bach Project "St. Matthew Passion"

April 20, 2011
St. Vincent de Paul Parish
Chicago, IL

St. Matthew Passion BWV 244
by J. S. Bach

John Nelson, conductor
The launch of the Chicago Bach Project

The evening of April 20, 2011, was an historic occasion for Soli Deo Gloria, with the launch of our Chicago Bach Project, a planned annual series of Holy Week concerts that will present a revolving cycle Bach's great trilogy: St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion and Mass in B Minor. Reviewers hailed it as "one of the highlights of the current music season" (Chicago Classical Review), "a formidable artistic success and a moving experience for Holy Week" (concerto.net) and "of a remarkably high order" (Chicago Tribune).

Stanford OLSEN, Evangelist
Stephen MORSCHECK, Jesus
Nicole CABELL, soprano
Jennifer LANE, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas PHAN, tenor
Douglas WILLIAMS, bass
CHICAGO BACH Chorus and Orchestra
Donald NALLY, Chorus Master

See "Announcing the Chicago Bach Project" for behind-the-scenes information about the Chicago Bach Project.

See "The Reviews Are In" for media reviews, audience and performer comments, and photos on the 2011 concert.

Visit ChicagoBachProject.com for information about the 2012 performance of Bach's St. John Passion.

Premiere of Daniel Kellogg's "O Greening Branch"

Saturday, November 20, 2010
Edman Chapel
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL

Ein deutsches Requiem
by Johannes Brahms

O Greening Branch
by Daniel Kellogg

John Nelson, conductor
A celebration of the 150th anniversary of Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

Conducted by Maestro John Nelson, the Artist Series performance of the Requiem featured over 300 voices, including the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra, Concert Choir, Men’s Glee Club, and Women’s Chorale, the Northern Illinois University Concert Choir, as well as the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, Chicago’s premier volunteer chorus.

See "A Grand Statement" for more information on the concert.

See O Greening Branch for more information on the commission and to hear excerpts from the premiere of this work.

Premiere of Neil Harnly's "The Lost Son"

November 5, 2010
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Indianapolis, IN

The Lost Son
by Neal Harnly
Libretto by Alisa Bair
Indianapolis Children's Choir
Henry Leck, conductor

The featured work for opening night of the Indianapolis Children's Choir (ICC) 25^th anniversary season was the premiere of The Lost Son by Neal Harnly, with the composer and librettist in attendance. After the performance one young chorister wrote: “There’s something amazing that happens to you when you’re in the midst of glorious music, but when you’re helping to make it, the experience is beyond compare."

See "The Sound of Angels?" for more information on the concert.

See The Lost Son for more information on the commission and to hear excerpts from the premiere of this work.