Hello Neighbors,

I invite you to come hear the Burlington Choral Society present music for Lent and Easter that moves from tragic to festive. Bob Chilcott's new setting of the St. John Passion spans an enormous expressive range in telling the story of Christ's suffering and death. This will be its first Vermont performance.

Artistic director Richard Riley will lead the chorus and instrumentalists, with guest artists Adam Hall (Evangelist), Matt Sullivan (Jesus), David Neiweem (Pontius Pilate), soprano Chayah Lichtig and Jenny Bower, organ.

The chorus plays the crowd with its raucous outbursts in the Passion narrative, but their main role is singing the simple, melodic meditations and lyrical hymns that Chilcott weaves into the story.

Following the dramatic Passion, John Taverner's Dum Transisset Sabbatum turns toward the light, then Pietro Mascagni's joyous Easter hymn from his opera Cavalleria Rusticana shines bright.

There are two performances of this concert, titled "Sunset, Sunrise":

Saturday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. at College Street Congregational Church
265 College St., Burlington, VT

Sunday, April 14, 4 p.m. at The Unitarian Church of Montpelier
130 Main St., Montpelier, VT

Tickets are available at the FlynnTix Box Office, www.flynntix.org and (802) 86-FLYNN. I always advise getting your tickets early, as concerts do sell out.

Hope to see you in the audience!