Cecilia International Choir of The Hague – Le Roi David in the Nieuwe Badkapel Church.
On Friday 26 June the Cecilia International Choir of The Hague, together with soloists and orchestra, will perform Arthur Honegger’s Le Roi David (King David) in the Nieuwe Badkapel church on the Nieuwe Parklaan in Scheveningen. The concert starts at 20:15.
Le Roi David was composed in Mézières, Switzerland in 1921 and is classified as an oratorio or more specifically as a dramatic psalm. The libretto was written by René Morax, and tells the biblical story of King David’s life from the time he was a shepherd, to his conquests in battle, his rise to power, his lust for another man’s wife, his agony over his son’s death, his disobedience to God, and finally to his own death. Honegger was given the nearly impossible deadline of two months to complete the work and was rewarded with much acclaim at the premiere.
The most significant element of Le Roi David is that it combines different styles of music in one complete work. There are twenty-seven movements, sub-divided into three parts, which use compositional techniques ranging from Gregorian chant to Baroque to jazz. Honegger’s utilization of all of these concepts allowed him to make a serious contribution to the neoclassical era.
The work was composed for soprano, alto and tenor soloists, a narrator, a large choir and a 16 piece orchestra. It was initially written in French but has subsequently been translated into both German and English. For this performance, the choir and soloists will sing the original French version but, for better audience comprehension, the narrative sections will be given in English.
The solo parts will be sung by the American singers Katharine Dain (soprano) and Scott Mello (tenor); two members of the acclaimed Damask Ensemble. The narration will given by …. and orchestral accompaniment will be provided by the Holland Orkest Combinatie. Overall direction of the soloists, choir and orchestra is in the hands of Marine Fribourg, a versatile young French musician who will herself sing the alto solo parts. Marine is the choir’s full time conductor.
The Cecilia International Choir is a mixed voice group of approximately 70 singers which attracts people of many nationalities who enjoy singing in an English speaking environment. In addition to performances of classical works, such as this, the choir gives an annual series of Christmas Carol concerts in December.
Tickets for the 26 June concert, which include an interval refreshment cost 18.00 euros if purchased in advance or 20.00 euros if purchased at the door on the evening of the concert. For young people in full-time education, the price is only 10 euros.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting the choir’s website www.cecilia-choir.com, by contacting secretary.cecilia@gmail.com or via any member of the choir.
