Saint Nicolas – Just around the corner!

Cincinnati Boychoir, Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, Vocal Arts Ensemble, and Collegium Cincinnati to present Britten’s Saint Nicolas at Christ Church Cathedral

A shipwreck, an evil butcher, and a prison sentence: Benjamin Britten’s cantata Saint Nicolas follows the life of the Saint from his birth to his death in nine musical vignettes. In celebration of the 100^th birthday of one of the twentieth century’s greatest composers, the Cincinnati Boychoir will present Britten’s masterful telling of the Nicolas story in conjunction with musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Vocal Arts Ensemble, Collegium Cincinnati, and Christ Church Cathedral; tenor Nathan Bick will sing the title role, and Thom Mariner (executive director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra) will narrate.

Britten composed the work in 1948 for the hundredth anniversary of a boys’ school in Sussex, England; the chorus that premiered the work was made up of three boys’ schools and two girls’ schools. The orchestra calls for student musicians, together with professionals, to fill out the ranks of each section.

The collaborative nature of the cantata is reflected in the current ethos of Cincinnati; on the heels of the World Choir Games in 2012, many organizations are continuing to work together to develop new and unique relationships. The Boychoir is an Artistic & Educational Partner with the Vocal Arts Ensemble in 2012-2013, and makes its home at Memorial Hall on Washington Park in Over-The-Rhine.

VAE: Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, a chamber choir of professional singers, was founded in 1979 and enters its 32nd season in 2011-2012. Led by conductor Donald Nally, VAE offers an annual subscription series of distinguished choral programs in notable architectural and acoustic venues throughout Greater Cincinnati. In addition, VAE produces outreach programs for children, youth and seniors, as well as recordings for local and national broadcasts.

The Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO), under the direction of CSO Assistant Conductor William C. White, is made up of students in grades 9–12 who represent over 30 high schools in southwestern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky.

Founded in 1964 by former CSO Music Director Max Rudolf and area music educators, the CSYO is dedicated to the cultivation of talent and provides outstanding young instrumentalists the opportunity to perform repertoire not normally available through their school music programs.

Collegium Cincinnati creates meaningful musical moments to inspire and foster a new generation of music lovers.The musicians of Collegium Cincinnati are passionate about exploring new works and new ways to perform old works, and are among the finest (and the finest up-and-coming) artists from the Greater Cincinnati Area. They are united by a desire to bring relevance and inspiration to a new generation of music lovers.

Tickets are on sale for the performance of Saint Nicolas now, and limited priority seating is still available.

For tickets:

www.cincinatiboychoir.org/concerts