Bel Canto Chorus performs two works by contemporary composers—one of these, Carson Cooman’s Revelations of Divine Love, hereby receiving its Midwest premiere. This 18-movement piece for soprano, baritone, chorus and chamber orchestra has texts derived primarily from the writings of English mystic Julian of Norwich (1342-1416).
“The oratorio is not intended as (a) comprehensive ‘working out’ of all aspects of Julian’s visions,” Cooman explains, but “rather, it takes her beautiful words—and the fundamentals of her visions—and attempts to create a new narrative and spiritual experience from them.” Bel Canto also performs Prairie Spring—a work inspired by Nebraska’s landscape—by Christian Ellenwood, Professor of Clarinet at UW-Whitewater. (John Jahn)
