Music Sunday and New Members Joining

At the regular Sunday service on March 21, the Adult Choir will present Mass No. 2 in G Major, D. 167, by Franz Schubert. The soloists for this work will include numerous section leaders of the choir, and Insun Lee will be accompanist for the presentation.

The Mass No. 2 in G Major was written within the space of five days, March 2-7, 1815. This is the shortest and simplest of Schubert's seven masses, intended for performance in his parish church of Lichenthal. The Mass setting is restrained and conservative, reminiscent of Mozart or early Beethoven. It contains those portions of the Ordinary of the Mass that are most frequently set to music - Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Angus Dei - in the original Latin.
Though unorthodox, Schubert was a deeply religious man. In a letter to his father, he wrote, "People have wondered at the piety I express in a hymn to the Virgin Mary, which seems to move every soul and to dispose the listener to prayer. I think that is because I never force myself to pray and, except when devotion involuntarily overpowers me, I never compose that kind of hymn or prayer -- when I do, then the piety I give voice to is genuine and deeply felt."
Schubert is primarily known for his lyric songs. His mastery of writing for vocalists is quite apparent in this work, which features soprano, tenor and bass solos, duets and trios, along with the choir. Join us in this musical experience for Lent.