The Griffin Choral Arts community chorus, under the direction of Dr. Stephen J. Mulder of Barnesville, will present a choral-orchestral masterworks concert entitled ‘Crowning Glories,’ Thursday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Griffin Auditorium, 234 W. Taylor St. The chorus will be accompanied by a 25-piece professional orchestra incorporating a portable or positive pipe organ and four professional vocal soloists from all over middle Georgia. Soloists include Sally Messner, soprano; Rebecca Lanning, mezzo; Richard Kosowski, tenor; and Stephen Ozcomert, bass; with accompanist Cathy Willis. Tickets are $10 general admission at the door or in advance in Griffin at Artistic Flowers and Gifts and The Tiger Lily; in Barnesville at Goggans Florist; in Zebulon at A Novel Experience bookstore; and in Thomaston at the TUAC Gallery. The ‘Crowning Glories’ program includes two coronation anthems of G.F. Handel, including the powerful ‘Zadok the Priest,’ which opens the concert, and ‘Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened.’ ’The initial choral entrance in ‘Zadok’ is one of the finest moments in all choralorchestral music,’ said Dr. Mulder. The concert’s centerpiece is W.A. Mozart’s ‘Coronation Mass in C’, which features the soloists and provides many opportunities for the chorus to demonstrate their expressive and technical capabilities. The two anchor works were selected not only because they were composed for or have become permanently associated with the coronation of a monarch but because they are monumental works by any measure. ’Since Handel and Mozart are themselves musical monarchs it’s also fitting in tribute to their stature that the forces performing their works in this concert include the largest number of musicians yet assembled in the history of Griffin Choral Arts,’ he said. The program concludes with the well-suited ‘Hallelujah’ chorus from Handel’s Messiah. ’It’s likely experiencing this piece will be worth the entire price of admission,’ Mulder said. Griffin Choral Arts is composed of singers from all over the region, many of whom are music teachers at the elementary, middle, secondary or college level.
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