This preview has been provided by the North Carolina Master Chorale.

On Sunday, March 13, the 170-member North Carolina Master Chorale will be joined by soloists and accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra in a 3 pm performance of Hector Berlioz’ captivating oratorio L’Enfance du Christ. The performance, under the baton of Master Chorale Music Director Alfred E. Sturgis, will take place in Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh.

Berlioz’ oratorio L’Enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ), set in three parts, tells the dramatic Biblical story of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt, beginning with King Herod’s haunting dream, to the perilous flight into Egypt, and eventually, the family’s arrival at Sais. Following its December 1854 premiere in Paris, Berlioz took 20 curtain calls. Following a performance at the Strasbourg Festival the composer remarked, “To my astonishment it aroused profound emotion, and the unaccompanied mystic chorus at the end, drew tears from many”.

Featured soloists for the Master Chorale’s performance, including their roles, are: Jason Karn, Tenor (Narrator), Megan Cleaveland, Soprano (Maria), Charles Hyland, Baritone (Joseph), Scott MacLeod, Baritone (Herod), and Donald Hartmann, Bass (Father). A free pre-concert lecture will be presented in the Concert Hall lobby at 2PM.

Individual tickets are available for the concert. Furthermore, subscription packages including other upcoming Master Chorale concerts are available via the NCMC box office.

For more information, please contact the North Carolina Master Chorale at (919) 856-9700 or visit the Master Chorale’s website, ncmasterchorale.org.

The North Carolina Master Chorale

One of the major choral organizations of the Southeast, the North Carolina Master Chorale has been performing choral-orchestral masterworks for more than 70 years. Under the direction of Alfred E. Sturgis since 1993, the Master Chorale presents a diverse repertoire from the Renaissance to Contemporary. Our singers, selected by audition, bring a collective wealth of training and experience. The Master Chorale regularly collaborates with symphony orchestras, opera companies, ballet and touring productions and was recently named the Resident Chorus of the North Carolina Symphony. Music Director and conductor Sturgis holds multiple degrees in music and performed with Robert Shaw in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to the Master Chorale, Maestro Sturgis serves as Music Director for the Carolina Ballet and the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra. Founded as the Raleigh Oratorio Society in 1942, Master Chorale has evolved into a major regional performing arts group that works with over 250 artist-musicians each season, reaching an annual audience of over 10,000 choral arts enthusiasts.

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Calendar Listing

Who:      North Carolina Master Chorale, Alfred E. Sturgis, Music Director

What:     Berlioz: L’Enfance du Christ

When:    Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 3PM

Where:   Meymandi Concert Hall, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh

Cost:      All reserved seating: $22-$30, plus tax.
                  Discounts available for subscription purchases, youths/students, senior citizens,
                  military personnel, and groups of 8 or more.

Tickets:  (919) 856-9700; www.ncmasterchorale.org