Sacred German Masterpieces

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” – J.S. Bach

German composers have given us one of the most significant bodies of Christian sacred music, from the brilliance of J.S. Bach and his family, through Mozart, Brahms, and beyond. We will sing Bach’s motet Sei Lob und Pres mit Ehren -- which was falsely attributed to another composer for centuries -- and Brahms’ motet Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen, considered his greatest sacred a cappella work. We are alsothrilled to present Hugo Distler’s dramatic Totentanz, a passion play in which Death spars with his victims, and we are excited to include American Conservatory Theater actor Paul Finocchiaro performing the part of Death. This grand program will also feature Clytus Gottwald’s arrangement for 16-voice choir of Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, no. 3: Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, one of the composer’s most moving works for voice and orchestra.

Saturday, March 10th, 8 PM • St Mark's Episcopal Church 2300 Bancroft Way (at Ellsworth), Berkeley

Sunday, March 11th, 4 PM • St. Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco 152 Church Street (at Duboce), San Francisco