WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (October 16, 2019)—The Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus under the direction of Dr. Christopher Gilliam will present a concert featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff’s beautiful and haunting choral piece All-Night Vigil on Sunday, November 3 at 3 p.m. This magnificent a capella work will be performed at Centenary United Methodist Church at 646 West 5th Street in downtown Winston-Salem.
As Joel R. Stegall states in the program notes for this concert: “Following guidelines of the Russian church, Rachmaninoff based his work entirely on chant. He chose traditional chants for ten of the fifteen sections. For the other five, he composed music in a similar style…The texts are in Russian Church Slavonic, a language found only in Russian Orthodoxy…Over time many word meanings have become lost to all except priests and scholars…Nonetheless, the use of words not in the common lexicon does serve its purpose…the sound cascades over the worshippers, enveloping them in an almost other-worldly experience.”
“My first opportunity to conduct All-Night Vigil was a few years ago with the Choral Arts Society of Davidson [College], and it was an incredible experience,” said Dr. Christopher Gilliam. “About seven months later, I was hired to sing the All-Night Vigil in the Minnesota Beethoven Festival chorus under the direction of renowned conductor Dale Warland. I was so inspired by that performance that I knew I had to have another shot at conducting this extraordinary masterwork, and I was excited to be able to program the work for the 2019–20 season.
“In this beautiful a cappella concert, the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus divides into as many as 11 parts, while soloists and chorus intone melodies inspired by ancient chant inside soaring, rich polyphony that will fill the acoustically resonant Centenary sanctuary,” Gilliam continued. “The Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus brings such exquisite sensitivity and musicality to the performance of the Vigil. I can’t think of another choral work that requires as much stamina of the chorus members; combining a light, floating, and high tessitura—in all parts—with visceral and powerful fortissimos. I know the audience will be moved by the performance, which includes several opportunities to hear our basses rumble on some of the lowest notes ever written for singers in the modern choral repertoire.”
Rachmaninoff composed the All-Night Vigil in 1915 and its first performance was in Moscow on March 10, 1915. Based on the liturgies of the Russian Orthodox Church, Rachmaninoff wrote the piece in support of Russia’s participation in World War 1. All-Night Vigil was initially well-received. However, after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, all religious music was prohibited. The first recording of the piece was made in 1965 but was not allowed to be sold in the Soviet Union. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, it has been recorded at least 45 times. It was one of Rachmaninoff’s favorite compositions.
Tickets are $15 (price includes sales tax) for general admission seating. Tickets are available in advance by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145 or online at wssymphony.org.
This concert is sponsored by Season Presenting Sponsors Bell, Davis, & Pitt, P.A. and BB&T; Concert Sponsor AM Erectors; as well as the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County and the North Carolina Arts Council.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus
The Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus is an auditioned mixed ensemble made up of volunteer singers, many of whom are professional soloists, or who are current members of area church and university choruses. It is directed by Dr. Christopher Gilliam. The Symphony Chorus rehearses weekly and performs several times each year with the Winston-Salem Symphony. For more information visit wssymphony.org/about/chorale.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
The Winston-Salem Symphony, one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, begins its 73rd season in October 2019. The 2019–20 season will be Timothy Redmond’s inaugural season as Music Director and will include Classics Series concerts featuring renowned guest artists such as Kenny Broberg, Béla Fleck, Rachel Barton Pine, and more. In addition, the season will include a Pops series featuring the Indigo Girls on stage with the Symphony as well as the music of John Williams and a tribute to Tom Petty. A Carolina Christmas returns with special guest artists with North Carolina roots including Laurelyn Dossett. The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah returns along with the Concert for Community featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians, three youth orchestra ensembles, and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs, including the P.L.A.Y. (Piedmont Learning Academy for Youth) Music program providing, primarily to under-served youth, instrumental music instruction and more. The Symphony is supported by Season Presenting Sponsors BB&T and Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; Redmond’s Inaugural Season Sponsor Mrs. Charles M. Howell; Symphony Unbound Sponsors Chris and Mike Morykwas; as well as generous funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and other dedicated sponsors. For more information, visit wssymphony.org.
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