Concert Review: Let Me Drown

Novus NY plays Become Ocean.

by Paul J. Pelkonen

(This review is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell.)

The composer John Luther Adams who won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Become Ocean.

St. Paul's Chapel, located in the long shadow of the World Trade Center is one of the oldest and most historic churches in New York. On Thursday afternoon, the last matinee concert of the annual music series sponsored by Trinity Church featured another historic occasion: the second New York pperformance of Become Ocean, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning composition by John Luther Adams. This concert, featuring contemporary orchestra Novus NY under the baton of Trinity Church maestro Julian Wachner, paired Mr. Adams' creation with works by contemporary composers Luna Pearl Woolf  and Jessica Meyer. All three composers were in attendance,

Concert Review: A Mighty Shout of Joy

Trinity Church ends its two-month Revolutionaries festival.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

The logo of this year's Revolutionaries festival at Trinity Church.
© 2016 Trinity Church of Wall Street.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 should not be taken, or performed lightly. This unwieldly but popular symphony is an occasion piece, performed at the opening or close of a major festival or sung to commemorate an historic event. The performance Friday night at Trinity Church met both qualifications, as five ensembles pooled their resources to perform the Ninth alongside Alberto Ginastera's equally imposing setting of Psalm 150.

Concert Review: Due South vs. True North

1B1 plays Ginastera at Trinity Church.

by Paul J. Pelkonen

Jan Bjøranger (in black) leads the chamber orchestra 1B1 at Trinity Church. Photo by the  author.

When one thinks of an ideal location to hear art music in New York City in the middle of a busy Thursday afternoon, there are few better than Trinity Church. In recent years, the old church at the head of Wall Street has started shedding its reputation as a stolid bastion of Bach and Handel and started experimenting with modern music. 

Concert Review: Salvation Found Together

The Trinity Choir presents Messiah (again.)
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Singers of the Trinity Choir.
Photo by Leah Reddy for Trinity Church.

Handel's Messiah remains his blockbuster. It has remained in the repertory for 261 years, moving from a work performed to raise money for hospitals at Easter to an annual New York tradition in celebration of Christmas. Each year, its most traditional visitation comes at Trinity Church, which gave the work's New York premiere when it was considered "new music." That premiere was echoed by Wednesday night's performance, which also kicked off a month-long celebration of baroque music at this historic locale.

Bach Against the Storm

Trinity Wall Street presents free Bach concert. 
Event to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief.

The Choir of Trinity Wall Street.
Photo by Leah Reddy © 2010 Trinity Church.

This just in: on Saturday night at 7:30pm, Trinity Church and the Trinity Choir will present a free performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor as part of an effort to raise funding to relieve the suffering of victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Attendees at this concert are encouraged to donate to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, a non-profit which will in turn disperse funding to relief organizations helping the 40,000 New Yorkers left homeless by the storm.

Trinity's rector, Dr. James Cooper had the following comment: "Trinity Church has served New Yorkers in need for more than three centuries. There is no greater honor or privilege than to stand with our neighbors in this great city and to say, 'we are here to help.' I invite all to this concert to be uplifted by the music and by the spirit of your giving."