Dear Neighbors,

With just two weeks until the downbeat, the Burlington Choral Society wants to remind you that we're eager to sing for you on Saturday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. at College Street Congregational Church, 265 College St. in Burlington and at our first-ever concert in Montpelier on Sunday, April 14, 4 p.m. at The Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.

In this concert titled 'Sunset, Sunrise,' we'll present music written for Lent and Easter that moves from tragic to festive. Our artistic director, Richard Riley, says, "We'll take you on a dramatic musical passage from darkness to light."

The program features English composer Bob Chilcott's new setting of the St. John Passion. It spans an enormous expressive range in telling the story of Christ's suffering and Crucifixion, according to St. John's gospel. This will be its first Vermont performance.

We in the chorus play the crowd with raucous outbursts in the Passion narrative, but our main role is singing the simple, melodic music that Chilcott wove into the story.

The story continues with Renaissance composer John Taverner's ethereal Dum Transisset Sabbatum, which describes dawn on the Sunday after the Crucifixion. The concert ends with Pietro Mascagni's exultant Easter hymn from his opera Cavalleria Rusticana.

Richard Riley leads the chorus and guest artists tenor Adam Hall (as John the Evangelist), bass-baritone Matt Sullivan (Jesus), baritone David Neiweem (Pontius Pilate) and soprano Chayah Lichtig. Jenny Bower performs on the organ, with Elizabeth Reid, viola; Perri Morris, cello; Jason Whitcomb and Don Wheater, trumpet; Joy Worland, horn; Lori Salimando-Porter, trombone; and William Keck, tuba.

Tickets are available at the FlynnTix Box Office, www.flynntix.org and (802) 86-FLYNN – and at the door as available. Prices are $25 for adults and $20 for students.

There are parking maps for both venues on the Concerts & Events page at www.bcsvermont.org.

We'd love to see you in the audience,

Ann