“The Solemn Blessings”

Michael Shirtz’s cantata “The Solemn Blessings” will be performed at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 in Hoover Auditorium.

In advance of the concert, join Shirtz and Rev. Dr. Charles Yoost for a Pre- Concert Talk in Hoover Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about the piece and its inspiration.

The five-movement neo-Classical cantata is based on the Beatitudes from the eight blessings recounted by Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Originally premiered at the 2009 Lakeside Choral Festival, the work has been rewritten into a newly revised edition featuring soloists C. Andrew Blosser, Sadiyah Babatunde, Pamela Shirtz, the Chautauqua Choir and Chamber Orchestra and the Michael Shirtz Quartet and conducted by Van Parker.

The cantata uses the choir as the voice of the people of God, the soprano as the voice of the messenger, the mezzo soprano as the voice of the Morah, and the tenor as the voice of Jesus.

The orchestration is written with jazz ensemble, strings and horns, with flute and oboe used throughout the work to signify the impressions of the dove as a symbol of peace and personal reflection.

Throughout the cantata Shirtz provides a musical narrative of the people being called to hear Christ, their journey to the mount, the blessings and Beatitudes from Christ, and the call to go out and share the news.

Following the performance of the cantata, the Michael Shirtz Quartet featuring bassist Dwight Bailey, drummer Reggie Jackson, New York saxophonist George Michael, and Shirtz on piano/vocals, will present a series of selections to conclude the evening concert.