The Cantata Singers have announced a performance of Dan Forrest’s “Creation” at the Clemens Center’s Powers Theater in Elmira.
The concert, scheduled for 4 p.m. May 23, will be free and open to the public, according to a community announcement.
The performance marks the second collaboration between the two groups this month.
Forrest, an internationally recognized composer, was born and raised in Breesport. The Cantata Singers’ longtime rehearsal pianist, Frances McLaren, was Forrest’s first piano teacher.
Will Wickham, music director of the Cantata Singers, said the work continues values rooted in the Chemung River valley and evokes the joys of Forrest’s youth, the region’s small‑town life, and its natural beauty, according to the announcement.
The production will feature more than 130 performers, including an 88-voice chorus comprised of the Cantata Singers, the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes and independent singers from across the region. They will be joined by a 45-piece professional orchestra and a bell choir led by Paul Holland.
The stage will also feature two soloists with local ties. Soprano Ashley Alden, a Corning resident and prominent voice teacher, will be joined by Elmira native Todd Thomas. Thomas, a “Verdi baritone,” performs regularly on the world’s most prestigious opera stages.
The performance will serve as a prelude to the Cantata Singers’ upcoming appearance on the international stage. Following the production, members of the ensemble will travel to England to perform Forrest’s “Creation” in the historic Rochester Cathedral, where Forrest will be the composer-in-residence.
The Powers Theater at the Clemens Center is fully accessible. While the concert is free, attendees are encouraged to arrive early to ensure seating.
Founded in 1964, the Cantata Singers is a community-based choral ensemble dedicated to performing major works of choral literature for the Southern Finger Lakes region.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Cantata Singers to perform Dan Forrest’s ‘Creation’ in Elmira
Reporting by Beth McDermott, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
