On December 7, 2024 at 7:30 PM, The Stonewall Chorale will perform its winter concert, "C'est Magnifique" featuring works by Francis Poulenc, Antonio Vivaldi, Gabriel Fauré and others at Holy Apostles, 296 9th Avenue, New York, NY.

The Stonewall Chorale was the nation's first gay and lesbian choir and welcomes singers of all backgrounds who identify as LGBTQ+. As it kicks off its 48th season, join The Stonewall Chorale for a concert that blends the traditional and the innovative in classical music.

"C'est Magnifique" includes the two major works by Poulenc and Vivaldi as well as shorter pieces by Fauré and Poulenc. Come for the sublime singing and stay to experience this vibrant and welcoming musical community!

Poulenc's Gloria (1959) is notable for pairing modernist compositional techniques with the centuries-old Gloria text. Cynthia Powell, Artistic Director of The Stonewall Chorale, says, "The Poulenc Gloria is probably my favorite piece of choral music. I love the melodies and harmonies -- they're all so lush and sensual, and very sassy.” Gloria challenges singers and audiences alike with haunting intervals and complex harmonies which rarely resolve in the conventional cadence. As the movements progress, the composition transforms from mystery-shrouded chant to mirthful song and holds the tension between those two moods to enthralling effect." Characterizing this balance, Powell adds, "Poulenc's melodies and tart harmonies would have been appropriate for dance halls and the Moulin Rouge, but he incorporated them into the sacred Gloria text with an underlying sincerity and an irreverent wink."

Vivaldi's Magnificat in G minor is the other major piece to be performed at Stonewall's winter concert. This stunning work is wholly representative of Vivaldi's legacy for contemporary choral groups like The Stonewall Chorale. Both choir and soloists get their moments in the sun, relishing in the composer's characteristic precision and vigor. From the devastating andante molto to the spirited allegro, The Stonewall Chorale presents each movement with integrity, emotion and an incredible sound.

Powell's remarks add context for the composition: "Vivaldi's Magnificat is a gem. He wrote it around the same time as his very popular setting of the Gloria with certain singers in mind from the Venetian orphanage where he taught. These girls and young women were given musical training, becoming some of the most incredible vocalists, string and wind players of the time and attracting all of Europe to their concerts.”  About the music itself, she continues, "The choruses are robust and the solo arias are beautifully wrought. The Magnificat is a short little marvel of Baroque craftsmanship, and it's one of my favorite texts which speaks truth to power, describing how the mighty will be brought down, the rich sent away, the hungry fed. A message for our time, for sure."

What brings this concert together? According to Stonewall Chorale member Sarah Chapman, "You have to hear all the music together — when you do, you realize that the pieces have the same sort of duality to them. You expect something very solemn, but then you hear the sense of humor in the choices these composers made."

Tickets for "C'est Magnifique" at Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Avenue, are available online at www.stonewallchorale.org/tickets. General admission: $35 in advance; $40 at the door (subject to availability); student/senior: $25 in advance only. Join The Stonewall Chorale for a captivating classical beginning to their season.