A Musical Journey To Sixteen Countries

The Connecticut Master Chorale, under the direction of Tina Johns Heidrich, will present its spring concert on Saturday, May 22, at 8 pm, at St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown.

The program, entitled “Around the World in 80 Minutes,” will be a musical journey, presenting a wide variety of music from 16 countries. Starting and ending in North America, the concert will include folk songs and opera choruses, patriotic anthems and choral classics. The Chorale’s musical tour will visit the Caribbean, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Russia and Serbia.

Some highlights include “From Sea to Shining Sea,” a fantasy based on “America, the Beautiful,” “Kyrie” from Glenn McClure’s A Caribbean Mass, “Home and the Heartland” from Riverdance, “Finlandia,” the Mexican folk song “Cielito Lindo,” “Barcarolle” from Tales of Hoffman, the Yiddish folk song “Ale Brider,” and the chorus from “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite.

The eclectic program will embrace the unusual and familiar before returning home once again for a spectacular “Star Spangled Banner” finale.

The Chorale will be accompanied by the Connecticut Master Chorale orchestra and Joseph Jacovino on piano and organ.

The Connecticut Master Chorale is an ensemble of 55 vocalists in their 11th year of singing in western Connecticut. In addition to their regular three-concert season, the Chorale has performed by invitation at the White House, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, West Point Military Academy and three times at Carnegie Hall.

Newtown residents in the Chorale are Judy Bolduc, Ginnie Carey, Lisa Cedergren, David Jurman, Karen Orzechowski, Nancy Raymond, Pastor Greg Wismar, and Dan Yee.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Call 203-743-0473 for ticket purchase and visit CMChorale.org for more information.