Celebrating the season with works by composers Britten, Rutter, and Susa
McGRATHPR.com – Pilgrim Festival Chorus (PFC), one of the region’s premier community choral ensembles, presents its holiday season concert “Christmas Joy: Works of Britten, Rutter, and Susa,” on Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2, 7:30 pm, and Sunday, December 3, 4 pm, at St. Bonaventure Parish, 803 State Road, Plymouth. The chorus is led by Artistic Directors William B. Richter, conductor, and Elizabeth Chapman Reilly, accompanist; together with instrumentalists Li Shan Tan, harp, Donny Albro, marimba, and Salomé Sandoval, classical guitar.
This December, Pilgrim Festival Chorus continues its annual tradition of making joyful music at Christmastime. In “Christmas Joy,” the chorus mingles its voices with harp, marimba, and guitar in Conrad Susa’s wonderful collection of Spanish carols, “Carols and Lullabies of the Southwest.” Thrill to the sounds of “A Ceremony of Carols,” one of Benjamin Britten’s most popular works, and delight in John Rutter’s “Dancing Day,” a collection of English carols arranged for women’s voices. Experience the wonder of this magical season by enjoying this beautiful vocal program, a popular tradition for decades!
Since 1999, PFC has provided South Shore audiences with classical choral music concerts. Nearly 90 vocalists of all adult ages from 18 South Shore communities fill out the ensemble. In addition to the winter concert, PFC presents an annual “Messiah Sing” in December, this season to be held on Friday, December 15, 7 pm, in Middleborough; a large-scale choral work in spring (Brahms’ “Requiem” in 2024); and a summer concert series featuring Broadway and Americana music.
PFC participates in the Card to Culture Program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening access to cultural programming. These programs are supported in part by grants from Middleborough and Plymouth Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Tickets for “Christmas Joy” are $25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens, and $15 for students over 14. Card to Culture attendees and children ages 14 and under are admitted for free. Tickets are available at pilgrimfestivalchorus.org/tickets, from PFC members, and at the door.
For more information, including details on membership and performances, visit pilgrimfestivalchorus.org, or follow Pilgrim Festival Chorus on Facebook and Instagram.
About Pilgrim Festival Chorus
Pilgrim Festival Chorus is a volunteer, nonprofit choral ensemble dedicated to presenting diverse choral works that educate, enrich, and engage both its members and its audiences. PFC is funded in part by grants from a number of the region’s cultural councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. PFC performances are produced in part by cooperation with See Plymouth and Plymouth County Commissioners. For more information, visit pilgrimfestivalchorus.org, or follow Pilgrim Festival Chorus on Facebook and Instagram.
