MUSIC

The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral and symphony orchestra, under the direction of Robert Simpson (pictured), will celebrate Mendelssohn and Haydn Anniversaries.  They will present  a concert marking the anniversaries of two of the world’s greatest composers on Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

The combined forces of nearly 100 musicians will present Symphony No. 2 – Hymn of Praise by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) and the Te Deum for Marie Therese by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). The performance will take place at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston.

Commissioned in 1840 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the printing press, Mendelssohn modeled his Second Symphony on the great 9th Symphony of Beethoven with its monumental concluding movement, “Ode to Joy.” It was premiered in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, famous for having been the church that J.S Bach served for the last 27 years of his life.

Marie Therese was the wife of Austria’s Emperor Franz I and a great lover of music. The Te Deum, a festive work employing a large compliment of brass and percussion, was written by Haydn in tribute to her support.

The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral is considered one of the finest liturgical choirs in the country. In addition to their extensive duties at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), they have undertaken four European tours to Austria, The Czech Republic and Great Britain. In July 2010, they will return to London’s Westminster Abbey for their third extended residency. They have previously sung at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Bath Abbey and Norwich Cathedral.

Conductor Robert Simpson has been Organist-Choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston since 1993. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Houston Chamber Choir, Houston’s premiere professional choir, and Lecturer of Church Music at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University.

The concert is free and open to the public. There is ample free parking. For more information, call 713-590-3311 or visit www.christchurchcathedral.org.