Spring Concert – Dvorak’s Mass in D

Portsmouth Pro Musica Presents an uplifting and inspiring Spring program on Saturday, April 9th and Sunday, April 10th, 2016. Dvorak’s Mass in D Major featuring PPM chorus, soloists, and 17-piece orchestra will be the cornerstone of the program. Here’s some background on the piece:

Mass in D was commissioned by noted architect Josef Hlavka, founder/patron of the Czech Academy of Arts and Sciences, for the dedication of a private chapel on his estate in Luzany (near Plzen in today’s Czech Republic). The private occasion and locale of the performance explain the restrictions on the work – i.e. originally composed for only a few singers and organ. It was premiered in Luzany in 1887 under Dvorak’s direction but only received two other performances in the 1880’s – Plzen and Prague. In 1892, the publisher Novello (London) accepted the score  for publication on the condition it be fully orchestrated. This way it could be performed in a concert hall and reach a wider audience. Numerous performances resulted in Europe and America. PPM presents the fully orchestrated version.

Complementing the simplicity and intimacy of the Dvorak mass are several selections of Shaker music by New England composer Kevin Siegfried. Three Shaker songs will be interwoven with movements of “Land of Pure Delight,” a sequence of Shaker music arranged for a string quartet. It was commissioned by Canterbury (NH) Shaker Village in 2014 and will be played by the Artful Noise String Quartet.

Event Dates and Ticket Information

Saturday, April 9th – 3pm
Christ Church, 28 Pine St, Exeter, NH

Sunday, April 10th – 3pm 
South Church, 292 State St, Portsmouth

Tickets are available at the door ($15 general admission; $12 seniors/students)

and in advance ($12.00, adult; $10, senior/students) by clicking here or at these area locations:

The Flower Kiosk – 61 Market St, Portsmouth

Napoli Market & Deli – 261 South St, Portsmouth

Philbrick’s Fresh Market – 775 Lafayette Rd, Portsmouth

Ear Craft Music – 432 Central Ave, Dover

Water Street Bookstore – 125 Water St, Exeter