Epiphany Concert To Feature Works of Bach

Concert Date: January 14, 2001, 3:00 p.m.
Place: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Duluth, Minnesota

The Twin Ports Women's Chorale and the John Duss Choral Society will join together to perform works of Bach at the Annual Epiphany Concert, January 14th at the Cathedral in Duluth. The vocal groups will be accompanied by the John Duss Conservatory Orchestra. Sister Bernardone Rock, FSE, is the conductor.

The John Duss Memorial Music Conservatory, operated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, began the annual winter performance four years ago. In the past, most composers of note wrote for church celebrations according to the church calendar of feast days. Traditionally, the days after Christmas were a time of continued celebration, leading to the feast of Epiphany. The Epiphany concert is an effort to expose our current fast-paced society to historical and beautiful music that is seldom heard due to the secular tendency to end the Christmas season immediately after Christmas Day. With this purpose in mind, the Conservatory offers the Duluth community an experience of great, but seldom perfomed music to "fill the void" in this season.

This year's concert focuses on Bach, in part, to commemorate the 250th year of his death:

• Cantata BWV 63. Written for Christmas Day 1723, it is particularly joyful and dance-like. The music parallels the words, "Come with singing, come with dancing."
• Magnificat in D BWV 243. The hymn for Vespers based on Biblical text, this is the song of ecstasy of the young pregnant Mary. It is considered one of the highest inspirations of Bach's genius.