Summer Festival 2007 Washington National Cathedral launches a new format for the annual Summer Festival, a full calendar of free and ticketed musical events, offering a variety of styles and artists to be enjoyed by the entire family. Events are free to the public, unless indicated with an asterisk. For ticketed concerts, tickets are $10–$65, with a discount for students, seniors, and orders of ten tickets or more, and are available by phone or online. | ||||
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PAST CONCERTS THIS SUMMER FESTIVAL | ||||
Saturday, June 16, 7:30 pm * COMBINED CHOIRS OF Washington National Cathedral’s choirs and orchestra present works by composers G. F. Handel and J.S. Bach, including Handel’s Zadok the Priest and the Bach Magnificat. Director Michael McCarthy conducts these Baroque masterpieces performed on period instruments in a magnificent setting. Tickets required. The Washington Cathedral Choir sings a varied repertoire, from Gregorian chant, early music by English and Continental masters, 18th and 19th century sacred compositions, to works by contemporary American and British composers. It has made concert appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, New York, under conductors such as Rostropovich, Dorati, Bernstein, Mehta, and Fruhbeck de Burgos. Read more about the Cathedral Choirs | ||||
Sunday, June 17, 5 pm—Organ Recital ALAN MORRISON Alan Morrison, one of America’s premier concert organists, performs organ works by composers Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, Harold Stover, Percy Whitlock and Joseph Jongen. Free concert; no tickets required. Alan Morrison is recognized as one of America’s premier concert organists, performing in some of the most prestigious organ concert venues in North America: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Alice Tully Hall; Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center; Benaroya Hall; The Meyerson Symphony Center; Spivey Hall; Jack Singer Concert Hall; City Hall Auditorium; The Crystal Cathedral; Grace Cathedral; First Congregational Church; Spreckels Organ Pavilion; St. Patrick’s Cathedral; Ocean Grove Auditorium; The Cleveland Museum of Art, and numerous others. He has won top prizes in numerous competitions, among them the Silver Medal at the Calgary International Organ Festival and First Prize in both the Mader and Poister National Organ Competitions At the age of 33, Mr. Morrison was appointed Head of the Organ Department at the world renowned conservatory, The Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia). He recently was honored with the Haas Charitable Trust Chair in Organ Studies at Curtis. He is in his twelfth year as College Organist at Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA) and recently joined the faculty of Westminster Choir College. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Mr. Morrison has been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He is a graduate of both The Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School of Music. Read more about Alan Morrison and see Concert Program | ||||
Tuesday, June 19, 7:30 pm MARINE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA The only musical organization charged to perform for the President, “The President’s Own” will perform works by Elgar, Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach. Free concert; no tickets required. “The President’s Own” Marine Chamber Orchestra offers a variety of programming, from Broadway and light classical selections to staples of the orchestral repertoire, from the Baroque to the present. This includes compositions for string orchestra and those utilizing various wind instruments. Lauded by critics for their dramatic and confident performances, the Marine Chamber Orchestra is helping shape the identity of “The President’s Own” for the 21st century. “The Marine Chamber Orchestra is the ensemble that most frequently performs for high profile events at the White House, and concerts by this ensemble offer patrons a virtual glimpse into the Executive Mansion,” said Director Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Colburn. “Our concert series also provides our musicians an opportunity to explore the rich and varied repertoire of the chamber orchestra.” The Marine Chamber Orchestra’s virtuosity shines for Presidents, heads of state, and concert patrons alike. | ||||
Wednesday, June 20, 7:30 pm CHRIS BRUBECK’S TRIPLE PLAY Chris Brubeck—son of legendary jazz great Dave Brubeck—teams up with Peter Madcat Ruth and Joel Brown to perform original compositions by the group members, classics by Dave Brubeck and tunes from the Great American Songbook. Free concert; no tickets required. When Chris Brubeck, Peter Madcat Ruth and Joel Brown perform together, it’s always an event to remember! This dynamic ensemble programs everything from jazz, to folk, to blues and classics. Whether performing with orchestras, or captivating students at universities across the United States, no concert ends without high praise and a standing ovation. | ||||
Thursday, June 21, 7:30 pm HESPERUS Premier early music ensemble Hesperus performs fourteenth and fifteenth century Italian music for a summer evening, including vocal and instrumental compositions by Andrea Stefani, Magister Piero, Domenicus de Ferraria, Lorenzo da Firenze, Johannes Ciconia, Francesco Landini and Bartolino da Padova. Free concert; no tickets required. Hesperus plays early music, folk music, and various combinations of the two. It presents European medieval, renaissance and baroque music—cultural portraits mixing early and traditional music of a particular country or region, and crossover programs fusing medieval, renaissance, Appalachian, gospel, blues, Cajun and Irish styles. The ensemble often partners with musicians from other traditions: Appalachian, Celtic, Sephardic, Cajun, blues, Andean, and African. The musicians who make up Hesperus are Tina Chancey—vielle, rebec, kamenj, lyra, recorder; Grant Herreid—lute, recorder, pipe and tabor, tenor voice; Rosa Lamoreaux—soprano; Tom Zajac—recorder, flute, bagpipe, bass. | ||||
Friday, June 22, 7:30 pm * NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA with the The National Symphony Orchestra, Emil de Cou, conductor, and the Cathedral Choral Society, J. Reilly Lewis, music director, perform works by great American composers including Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Suite from The Tender Land; Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei/Adagio; Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Tickets required. The National Symphony Orchestra regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including performances for state occasions, presidential inaugurations and official holiday celebrations. Through its tours of four continents and performances for heads of state, the National Symphony also fills an important international role. Officially founded in 1931, throughout its history the Orchestra has been committed to both artistic excellence and a force for music education. In 1986 the National Symphony became the artistic affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the nation’s center for the performing arts, where it has presented a concert season annually since the Center opened in 1971. 
The Cathedral Choral Society is the resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral. The 240-voice chorus is the oldest choral group in Washington, having been founded in 1941 by Paul Callaway who served as music director until 1984. Since 1985, J. Reilly Lewis has conducted the Society in musical masterpieces from plainsong to contemporary works. The four major concerts each season are often performed with full symphony orchestra. Since its founding, the Cathedral Choral Society has presented numerous world premieres, many of them commissioned by the Society, and has maintained a tradition of showcasing both promising young soloists and internationally known artists. | ||||
Saturday, June 23, 7:30 pm * DANIEL RODRIGUEZ, tenor “America’s Beloved Tenor” Daniel Rodriguez performs Broadway, opera and traditional song favorites. Tickets required. Daniel Rodriguez presented his first recital at Carnegie Hall. As a member of the NYPD Ceremonial Unit, he sang at official functions, and later, at memorials in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, where he received special recognition from then-NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Since then, he has studied with Placido Domingo, performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the PBS Memorial Day concert in Washington, D.C., the Tournament of Roses Parade, the 2004 Republican National Convention and President Bush’s “Celebration of Freedom” Inauguration concert, and on television’s “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Larry King Live,” “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “Oprah,” among many other high profile events. He officially retired from the NYPD in June of 2004, and now has three records under his belt. | ||||
Sunday, June 24, 5 pm—Organ Recital S. WAYNE FOSTER International organ sensation Stewart Wayne Foster performs works by composers Brian Sawyers, Dietrich Buxtehude, Bruce Neswick and Alexandre Guilmant. Free concert; no tickets required. As a winner of the first Dallas International Organ Competition in 1997, Stewart Wayne Foster has been featured as orchestral soloist and solo recitalist in numerous appearances in concert halls and churches throughout the United States. He performed the world premiere of “Lux Perpetua” by the Pulitzer Prize winning composer Samuel Adler with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as part of his competition prize. In July 1999, he performed a solo recital to great critical acclaim in Chartres Cathedral as part of the International Organ Festival held there every summer. His first CD recording of French Symphonic Organ Literature was released in January 2000 on the Towerhill label. In addition to his career as recitalist, Mr. Foster is Organist in Residence at First Congregational Church, Los Angeles. Read more about S. Wayne Foster and see Concert Program | ||||
Sunday, June 24, 7:30 pm YOUTHCUE Youth choirs from around the country collaborate for this annual concert at Washington National Cathedral. Free concert; no tickets required. Founded in 1990, Youth Choirs, Inc. (dba YouthCUE) seeks to nurture the development of youth choirs as tools to bring young people together in service to each other and to the world. Realizing that today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders in homes, churches, corporations, government, hospitals, and other organizations, YouthCUE seeks to instill the everlasting Word of God in them through song and leadership through the youth choir experience. Additionally, YouthCUE seeks to minister to youth choir directors, providing them with a network of support, programs, and printed resources that will help them minister to their choirs. Over the past decade, YouthCUE has breathed new life into youth music in churches and schools and has been largely credited with the resurgence of youth choirs across the country. The expanding network of youth choir directors now represents forty states, six countries, and eleven denominations. | ||||
Tuesday, June 26, 7:30 pm 21ST CENTURY CONSORT Under the direction of its founder, Christopher Kendall, the 21st Century Consort’s artists include principal players from the National Symphony Orchestra, along with other prominent musicians from Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. Free concert; no tickets required. The Consort’s national appearances have included concerts and workshops at many colleges and universities. In the last several years the group has presented mini-residencies of readings and recording of student compositions at the University of Maryland School of Music. It has performed numerous concerts free to the public at the Washington National Cathedral. In the 2006–2007 season, the Consort will launch its partnership with the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). The Consort will serve as the New Music Ensemble-in-Residence at the Museum’s newly renovated Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium. | ||||
Wednesday, June 27, 7:30 pm WOODLEY ENSEMBLE Woodley Ensemble’s commitment to bringing beautiful and unusual choral music to the public is demonstrated by their exciting program, featuring works whose composers span the globe and five centuries. Free concert; no tickets required. Long held in high esteem for its expert vocalism and high musical standards, the ensemble boasts a repertoire with music from all eras, with a special focus on music of the Renaissance and the modern era. Woodley Ensemble’s singers are among the finest professional choral musicians in the region, with each bringing a wide variety of knowledge and experience to the group. A recent review in the Choral Journal notes: “This recording is seventy minutes of exquisite contemporary choral singing. From the lush opening chord to the last, conductor Frank Albinder leads the Washington, D.C. based ensemble with impeccable precision. Especially impressive is the vertical tuning displayed by this group while performing repertoire replete with difficult harmonies and tone clusters. Dynamic contrasts are thrilling and heartfelt and are indicative of the singers’ connection to the poetry.” | ||||
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Friday, June 29, 7:30 pm * TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET The Turtle Island Quartet, since its inception in 1985, has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. The concert, entitled “A Love Supreme,” pays tribute to jazz great John Coltrane. Tickets required. Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles, and by devising a performance practice that honors both, the state of the art has inevitably been redefined. The group has been featured in a dozen recordings on labels such as Windham Hill, Chandos, Koch and Telarc, soundtracks for major motion pictures, TV and radio credits such as the “Today Show,” “All Things Considered,” and “Prairie Home Companion,” feature articles in People and Newsweek magazines, and collaborations with famed artists such as clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, The Manhattan Transfer, pianists Billy Taylor and Kenny Barron, the Ying Quartet and the Parsons Dance Company. | ||||
Saturday, June 30, 7:30 pm * TAKE 6 With a staggering eighteen Grammy-Award nominations, Take 6 is the most nominated Gospel, Jazz, Pop or R&B artists in Grammy history. The group performs their greatest hits. Tickets required. | ||||
Sunday, July 1, 5 pm—Organ Recital PAUL JACOBS Paul Jacobs has re-invigorated the American organ scene with his once-in-a-generation gifts as a performer. This recital features works by Franck, Bach, Reger, Messiaen and Duruflé. Free concert; no tickets required. His fellow organists have been quick to applaud his phenomenal technique and memory, his charismatic stage presence, his huge repertoire spanning five centuries, and the sense of showmanship he brings to an instrument more usually associated with staid and reserved performances. Paul Jacobs is also creating new interest for the organ in the wider musical world, which has recognized him as a musician of rare stature. He is in great demand in the United States and has growing recognition as a performer of unusual merit in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. The Juilliard School has honored its organ department chairman Paul Jacobs by appointment to the William Schuman Scholars Chair for 2007. The award, named for a former president of The Juilliard School, is given annually to an artist and educator who has made significant contributions to both the intellectual and artistic life of the Juilliard community. | ||||
