Montpelier’s Onion River Chorus presents the first ever Vermont performances of two baroque masterworks, Jan Zelenka’s Missa Dei Filii and Antonio Lotti’s Dixit Dominus: Saturday, May 16, 7:30 PM at the Hardwick Town House, and Sunday, May 17, 7:00 PM at Montpelier Unitarian Church. Admission at the door is $15, $10 for students and seniors, $30 for families.

Directed by Larry Gordon, the performances will feature an orchestra of baroque period instruments, including trumpet, oboes, strings and continuo, plus vocal soloists Lindsey Warren and Allison Mills.

Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745), who spent most of his life in Dresden, is one of the great baroque composers whose works are only recently being published in modern editions and being performed. Both Bach and Handel owned copies of some of his works and held him in high regard. His Missa Dei Fillii, one of his last great masses, is perhaps his most extravagant composition. It is a 50 minute work, but consists only of a Kyrie and Gloria. But the Gloria features extraordinary florid extended chorus numbers, magnificent solo arias and great instrumental writing. The two outer movements - no. 4 “Gloria in excelsis deo,” with quotations from the Gregorian chant melody, and no. 10 “Cum sancto spiritu,” are both set on a colossal scale and are related to each other both in substance and in form. The closing fugue no. 10 not only takes up the vehement “Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te” from the opening chorus no. 4 as its counter subject, but it also leads back into the radiant and virtuoso refrain of no.4. The work as a whole demands brilliant virtuosity from all the singers and instrumentalists.

The Italian composer Antonio Lotti (1667-1740) was famous throughout Europe during his lifetime. He spent several years working for the court in Dresden and many of his works were preserved and performed there, where Zelenka became familiar with them. His Dixit Dominus, written for St. Mark’s in Venice, is a wonderfully celebratory piece, setting each verse of the Psalm in highly contrasting styles and with different combinations of voices (up to seven parts) and instruments including trumpet.

Since its founding in 1978 Onion River Chorus has consistently offered unusual programs of music from all periods, particularly championing lesser known renaissance and baroque repertoire. The choir is un-auditioned and welcomes any interested singers. New singers are invited to join for the fall program of Spanish renaissance Christmas music which begins rehearsal the Monday after Labor Day. For more information contact David Grundy, 476-4300 or visit the choir website: www.onionriverchorus.org