The Sounds of Stow Chorus & Orchestra, Barbara Jones, artistic director, opens its 47th season on Sunday November 23, 2025 at 2:00 pm with “Timeless Tidings,”a program of music by British and American composers, featuring John Rutter’s Gloria! in celebration of the composer’s 80th birthday. Additional works by Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Britten, and Bernstein will be performed with a full orchestra, in a new Marlborough venue perfect for the occasion.
With its rousing and challenging rhythms, Rutter’s Gloria! was the composer’s first major success for chorus and orchestra. Premiered in 1974, it drew immediate acclaim and has remained a favorite with audiences and performers alike. An outstanding brass section is lined up to give this irresistible piece its full measure of splendor. Also on the program are three beloved works by other British composers: Gerald Finzi’s In Terra Pax, rich with striking harmonies; Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols; and selected movements from Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. In addition, two movements from American composer Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms will be performed, concluding with this fervent hope: “Behold how good, and how pleasant it is, for people to dwell together in unity” — truly a timely and moving message, beautiful and serene, from music written in 1965.
The music will be sung in English, Latin, and Hebrew, with subtitles accompanying the text.
The concert will take place at the Charles W. Whitcomb Middle School, 25 Union St., Marlborough, on Sunday November 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM. The venue offers ample free parking near the entrance, is approximately four miles from Stow Center, and provides easy access from routes 290, 495, and 85.
Our featured soloists are bass-baritone Mark-Andrew Cleveland and soprano Meghan Zuver. Mr. Cleveland performs widely across the country and is a frequent guest with the Sounds of Stow, while Ms. Zuver, also an acclaimed soloist, will be making her debut with the ensemble.
For tickets and additional information, visit http://soundsofstow.org
We hope you will join us for this seasonal and uplifting performance!
WHERE: Charles W. Whitcomb Middle School, 25 Union St., Marlborough, MA
WHEN: Sunday, November 23, 2:00 p.m.
25 Union St
Marlborough, Massachusetts United States
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.