Choral Society readies for 'War and Peace'

The Hilton Head Choral Society will perform two unpublished works by renowned American composer Paul Basler as part of its Musical Masterworks concert, "War and Peace," being presented April 11 and 12 at First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head Island.

One of the most performed composers of his generation, Basler also agreed to orchestrate his popular "Psalm 23" for the choir's 35-member orchestra. The piece was originally written for piano, horn and choir.

"It's such a wonderfully expressive setting," said Choral Society artistic

director Tim Reynolds. "Everybody loved it when we performed it last year at our spring concert."

The psalm will be incorporated into Basler's "Missa Brevis", a shortened version of the mass that includes the composer's settings of the Gloria and Agnus Dei and his unpublished Kyrie and Sanctus.

"It's a very listenable, very lyrical mass," Reynolds said. "There's a lot of variety in it. You can even hear the influence of African rhythms."

Basler, who currently serves as Professor of Music at the University of Florida, spent a year as a Fulbright scholar in Nairobi, Kenya.

In contrast to the contemporary 18-minute "Missa Brevis," the 110-voice choir will perform Franz Joseph Haydn's classical "Mass in Time of War," a 40-minute composition with six movements sung in Latin. A solo quartet from the University of Florida will join the choir for the piece.

Haydn composed the mass in 1796 when the Austro-

Hungarian Empire was at war with France and suffering heavy losses from the advancing troops under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte.

"He uses trumpets and timpani very effectively in the piece," Reynolds said. "It sounds like evil is lurking nearby."

The choral group also will perform Ron Nelson's "Fanfare for a Festival" and John Rutter's "To Everything There is a Season," which closes with the

lyrics, "a time of war, and a time of peace."

"It's a very popular anthem," Reynolds added, "and it ties the two themes of the concert together quite nicely."

Later in the month, the Choral Society Youth Choir will present their Spring Serenade. The concert will be performed at 5 p.m. April 20 at Christ Lutheran Church. Tickets for that show are $5.