DUALIS: Construct

In our first concert of the season, we join forces with Basso Celestia, an early music ensemble based in the Mid-Atlantic region, to explore the stories and ideals humanity has cultivated through music and prose.

In Carissimi’s oratorio Jephte, we encounter the biblical figure Jephthah in a cautionary tale of folly and rash decision-making. In Ēriks Ešenvalds’s Northern Lights, we hear the words of Charles Francis Hall as he attempts to capture the wonder of witnessing the aurora borealis for the first time.

Two pieces draw from Emma Lazarus’s famous sonnet, The New Colossus. Patrick Siler’s The New Colossus (world premiere) uses percussion combined with rhythmic choral figures to evoke the immense physical force involved in constructing such an important cultural landmark. Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, written in response to Buxtehude’s cantata Ad manus (the chorus of which will be performed separately), combines Lazarus’s words with text from the Bible and Shaw’s own writing. The result is a meditation on the extraordinary achievements and monstrosities of which humanity is capable.

These works invite us to consider how music elevates our most profound stories, unites us in our shared experiences, and provides a blueprint for a path towards peace.

DUALIS offers tickets on a sliding scale, with a suggested donation of $25 (general admission) or $10 (student). Join us for a reception and light refreshments after the concert for a fixed $10 add-on donation.

Dualis is a Baltimore-based ensemble that is advancing choral music with genre-defying programming, community engagement, and educational outreach. Dualis collaborates with local artists and students to perform, connect, and reflect the diverse sounds and experiences of our world.

DUALIS is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, which makes it possible for the group to receive tax-deductible donations from individuals. If you are interested in becoming a donor, please feel free to click here.

Free street parking is available in the area, along with several paid parking lots. It is recommended that patrons look at street signs to make sure permits are not required before parking on the street.

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Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 10 East Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, United States

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