"WHY WE SING: MUSIC OF RENEWAL AND REVIVAL" CONCERTS mAY 7 AND 8, 2022

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For information, contact:
Robert Stumpf, [email protected]
 
 
Black Tulip Chorale, St. Louis’ all gender expression/identity/orientation mixed voice chorus, announces the first performances of its 2022 season. The group will present WHY WE SING: Music of Renewal and Revival at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 7, Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Soulard, and the program will be repeated at 5 p.m., Sunday, May 9, at First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood. The Chorale will be joined by members of the St. Louis Civic Orchestra.
     WHY WE SING includes works by Stephen Sondheim, Greg Gilpin and Andrea Ramsey, with the premiere of a new work by Greg Dennis and Dale Wm. Kipper, celebrating the healing power of music. Also featured is composer Victor Johnson, with the premiere of a new organ prelude based on the Ukrainian national anthem.
     The second half of the program features Part III of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah."
   "We are thrilled to return to Kirkwood for a performance celebrating community in a time of 'new normal,' " said Robert Stumpf, BTC conductor. The program is presented as part of First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood's Con Spirito concert series. "We are also excited for the opportunity to perform for the first time at Historic Trinity," he said.
    Both performances are free; donations are encouraged.
    Black Tulip Chorale was established in 2018 with a mission to advocate for social consciousness through excellence in the performance of choral music, while providing an affirming environment for all, regardless of gender expression, identity, or sexual orientation. Within its first year, the chorale presented Gabriel Faure's "Requiem" and Randall Thompson's "Frostiana", rarely performed in its entirety. The chorale's final pre-pandemic performance featured Emmy Award winner Christine Brewer and the St. Louis Wind Symphony as guest artists. In December 2021, the chorale was able to perform publicly again with HOLIDAY LIGHTS--Lessons and Carols for the 21st Century.
     WHY WE SING: Music of Renewal and Revival. 8 p.m., Saturday, May 7, Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 Soulard St., St. Louis MO 63104; AND 5 p.m., Sunday, May 8, First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, 100 E. Adams Avenue, Kirkwood MO 63122.
 
This production is funded in part by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.