Victoria Choral Society Celebrates 90 Years of Choral Music!

The Victoria Choral Society, under Music Director Brian Wismath, is delighted to present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem, Laudate Dominum, and Ave Verum Corpus at Christ Church Cathedral at 2:30 pm on Sunday, November 16th, 2024. Please join us in celebrating this significant milestone.

Tickets are available online or at the door starting October 1st at https://www.victoriachoralsociety.ca/concerts/ Adults $35, Student / Income Accessible $10. We recommend purchasing tickets online and arriving at least 20 minutes early as we expect a full audience.

This glorious program features a 150-member choir accompanied by an orchestra of musicians from the Victoria Symphony, as well as local soloists Jennifer Turner (soprano), Jennifer Lang (mezzo), Jan van der Hooft (tenor), and Nathan McDonald (baritone).

“I fear I am writing a Requiem for myself.” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Unfinished at the time of Mozart’s death in 1791, “[…] the Requiem Mass for the Dead, arguably the most potent and all-embracing of the Church’s liturgical rites, encompasses the whole range of human emotion from terror and awe to confidence that the dead can indeed depart in peace. Mozart’s music takes us deep into the human condition with pleas to be heard and comforted (Voca me), pleas for healing (Salva me), finding the still centre in the rest (Requiem) at the end of tears (Lacrimosa) [...]”
– Elizabeth Courtney, VCS Alumna

Mozart composed Laudate Dominum in 1780 as part of “Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K. 339,” a six-movement liturgical work. Set as an extended aria for soprano and chorus, its long luxurious melody for solo soprano is answered and supported by the chorus. This short masterpiece was in great demand in the nineteenth century and inspired all kinds of popular arrangements for different combinations of instruments.

It was in 1791 in his final six months that Mozart composed Ave Verum Corpus. This short motet of 46 measures is a choral gem recognized for its beauty and simplicity. The text, a 14^th century Eucharistic hymn, contemplates suffering and redemption, while elements of the composition foreshadow the magnificent Requiem.

About the Victoria Choral Society

The Victoria Choral society, founded in 1934, is a mixed-voice auditioned symphonic choir dedicated to presenting the finest choral music from baroque to contemporary, achieving excellence through innovation and collaboration. It continues to play a leading role in Victoria’s cultural life.