Stabat Mater

March 2010
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March 28, 2010 — DataDivaJac

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The choirs of All Saints’ Episcopal Church will once again be joined by select members of the Phoenix Symphony and Phoenix Chorale for their annual Good Friday offering to the community, a musical devotional under the direction of Scott Youngs. This special presentation begins at All Saints’ Episcopal Church at 12:40 PM, following the Stations of the Cross which starts at 12 noon.

In past performances we have presented J.S. Bach’s Passions according to St. John and St. Matthew. This year looks outside Western European tradition for inspiration and freshness, featuring modes from the Middle East and Holy Land. Stabat Mater is a powerful text dating from the 13th century that meditates on the suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ’s mother, during his crucifixion.

This setting by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins has all the pathos and drama, the soaring melodies and sumptuous orchestration for which he has become famous. The scoring is for voices and modern symphony orchestra augmented by indigenous instruments such as the darabuca (hand drum) and riq (small tambourine).

Jenkins has extended Stabat Mater to a universal depiction of grief with six other texts in a variety of languages, some of them from ancient sources such as the poem “Now my life is only weeping” by Rumi. In “And the Mother Did Weep” text is sung in English, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic and Greek.

Karen Knudsen

Caroline Markham

Our two featured alto soloists are Caroline Markham and Karen Knudsen.

I believe that when you hear Caroline’s “Incantation” prayer in Arabic and Karen’s “Lament”… “as mothers in their grief stand crying” you may need to be prepared to have your Kleenex handy.

It will be so incredibly moving. We look forward to sharing this heartfelt choral devotional with you. Maranatha