The World Called
Music by Adolphus Hailstork
Text by Rita Dove
Performed by The Oratorio Society of Virginia
on May 25th, 2018
Michael Slon, Music Director
Christina Pier, Soprano
Thursday, September 3 - 8:30 PM
and
Saturday, September 5 - 6:30 PM
Televised thanks to VPM: Virginia’s Home for Public Media
Two chances to hear The Oratorio Society from the safety and comfort of your own home. Commissioned in celebration of our 50th Anniversary, Adolphus Hailstork’s The World Called sets former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove’s Testimonial to music for choir, orchestra, and soprano soloist. This will be a broadcast from The Oratorio Society’s archival recording of the 2018 World Premiere. Please scroll to learn more about this landmark project.
For information about the music, scroll down or click below for a printable program.
This broadcast is produced and given with gratitude for
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About the music
Commissioned in celebration of The Oratorio Society of Virginia’s 50th Anniversary, Adolphus Hailstork’s The World Called sets to music the text of Rita Dove’s poem Testimonial, originally featured in her 1999 collection, On the Bus with Rosa Parks. Along with the poem, artist David Guinn’s eponymous mural that is a part of Charlottesville’s rich cultural tapestry served as the genesis for this collaboration. This setting for chorus, orchestra, and soloist celebrates the many unique and ubiquitous experiences and interactions that shape a person, a culture, and a society. To read the full program description from the World Premiere in 2018, click the button below.
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About the Composer
Adolphus Hailstork is a renowned American composer, Professor of Music, and Eminent Scholar at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. His work has been performed by the Washington Master Chorale and Houston Choral Society, the Chicago and Baltimore Symphonies, and conducted by James DePriest, Daniel Barenboim, and JoAnn Falletta, to name a few.
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Thanks to the generosity of many, The Oratorio Society of Virginia has had the privilege of serving our community by sharing the transformative power and joy of choral singing for over 50 years. Even in light of public health restrictions, due to COVID-19, we will continue to carry this mission forward by offering digital concert and lecture experiences throughout the year, until we can safely welcome our community back to the concert hall. It is thanks to your support that we are able to do this. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift today!
About the Poet
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the NAACP Image Award, and a multiple finalist for the National Book Award, Rita Dove is an iconic member of our community’s cultural topography. She was U.S. Poet Laureate from 1993-95 and is Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia, Her poem Testimonial, which forms the very heart of this collaboration, evokes the unfolding of the world right in front of a child’s eyes.
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The Oratorio Society Singers (2018 Performance)
Soprano
Rachel Abdella
Kimberly Allen
Ellen Bessell
Joanne Billups
Christine Butterman
Meagan Carrick
Melody Z. Day
Kate Donovan
Meghan Frook Cridlin
Violet Houser
Heidi M. Kupke
Heather LaMay
Celia Lankford
Kimberly Lauter
* Margaret O’Bryant
Rachel Odom
* Suzanne Schaeffer
Theresa Scruggs
Hannah Slayton
Alanna Smith
Katie Somers
Denise Sopko
Sharon Utz
Kiri Van Lengen-Welty
Leah Wayner
Kate Wisbey
Alto
Sheila Borger
Marie Callahan
Wendi Dass
Nancy Davis-Imhof
Carol Diggs
Jennifer Gaden
Angela Herstek-Zongilla
Julia Hilkey
Libby Hobbs
* Karen Honeycutt
* Kelly Kennedy
* Diane Kingsbury
Linda Leshowitz
Karen Marsh
Joanie McGuire
Liz McQuade
Erin Palombi
Lily Perkowski
* Katy Sinclair
Michelle Taylor
Joy Tobias
Caroline Wilhelm
Amanda Williams
Bass
Jason Boehmer
Andreas Broscheid
* Matthew Butterman
Matthew Carter
Josh Crockett
Cody Davis-Meadows
Bob Dickman
Ron Gaykema
* Steve Harris
Craig Schneiders
*Frank Sherwood
Yuji Shinozaki
Fred Simon
Lloyd Snook
David Tate
* Jan Tobias
Matt Zimmerman
Rehearsal Accompanist
Daniel Hine
* Board of Directors
Tenor
Timothy Allen
Wayne Arrowood
Winston Barham
Jim Boyd
Dorian Brown
*Drene DeGood
Mirna Dickey
Rob Gardner
John Jesus
Carrol Kinsey
*George Nowacek
Ben-David Warner
About our Music Director
Michael Slon joined The Oratorio Society of Virginia as its Music Director in 2011. In the decade since, he has overseen advancement of both the musicianship and mission of our chorus, including the creation of new regional artistic partnerships, community benefits, and The Society’s annual spring favorite, Together in Song, a concert and masterclass for community singers.
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About the Soloist
Christina Pier has been hailed by Opera News for her “big, gleaming soprano and impressive coloratura,” with recent engagements including appearances with Virginia, Santa Fe, Sarasota, and Nashville Opera companies.
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Charlottesville Chamber
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