National Lutheran Choir to Commemorate 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation through music with fall concert tour to Pacific Northwest
From September 28 through October 1, the National Lutheran Choir will embark on a concert tour to select cities in Washington and Oregon. Commemorating the worldwide anniversary of 500 years since the Protestant Reformation, the Choir will present two separate programs of sacred choral music and beloved hymns. Performance venues include Pacific Lutheran University’s Lagerquist Hall (Tacoma, WA), Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral (Seattle, WA), Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Portland, OR), and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Salem, OR).
Una Sancta, a concert program aimed at illuminating Luther’s understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit—“it calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church…”—will be performed in Tacoma, WA in conjunction with Pacific Lutheran University’s “Re-Forming” anniversary series, as well as in Salem, OR at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Music Series. Program highlights include J.S. Bach’s motet Der Geist hilft, the “Kyrie” from G.P. da Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli, “Agnus Dei” from Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, and choral music from renowned composers Eriks Ešenvalds, Kenneth Jennings, Charles Marie Widor, Kim André Arnesen, and Moses Hogan.
This performance will take place at Pacific Lutheran University on September 28, 2017. More information is available in the Tacoma AGO calendar.
Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, Forever is an evening of song commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation featuring the National Lutheran Choir leading a massed choir of local singers. Presented in the tremendous acoustics of the Episcopal Cathedrals in Seattle and Portland, this program features a unique assembly of hymns and choral repertoire woven together to celebrate the rich treasury of music expressing the journey of the ever-reforming Church. Highlights include Martin Luther’s famous hymn tune EIN FESTE BURG, a multi-choir setting of Psalm 136 by Heinrich Schütz—commissioned for the 100th anniversary of the Reformation by the Lutheran Church in Germany—and hymns and repertoire from Korea, France, South Africa, Norway, Hungary, Latvia, and the United States.
This performance will take place on September 29, 2017 at St. Mark’s Cathedral. More information is available in the Tacoma AGO Calendar.
About the National Lutheran Choir
The National Lutheran Choir is a 64-member vocal ensemble based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Under the direction of nationally known conductor, composer and organist Dr. David Cherwien and formerly at First Lutheran Richmond Beach in Seattle, the National Lutheran Choir’s artistry is rooted in its mission to strengthen, renew and preserve the heritage of sacred choral music through the highest standards of performance and literature.
Founded in 1986, the National Lutheran Choir sings a sacred and spiritual story rooted in the Lutheran choral tradition. In addition to concertizing, the National Lutheran Choir enjoys frequent broadcasts on public radio and curates a YouTube channel with thousands of views of selected performances and concert streams.