MISSA GAIA MAY 6 2018
Date/Time
Date(s) - Sunday, May 6, 2018
7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Location
Knox Presbyterian Church
MISSA GAIA MAY 6 2018
Missa Gaia/Earth Mass
The wolf, the whale and the loon are coming to Kincardine!
On Sunday, May 6th at 7 PM, Knox Presbyterian Church is hosting the Karen Schuessler Singers in a performance of Paul Winter and Paul Halley’s “Missa Gaia”. Written in 1981 for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City to celebrate Mother Earth, Missa Gaia is both ecumenical and ecological, reflecting jazz saxophonist Paul Winter’s desire to create a mass “which would embrace all the voices of the Earth”. This it does by including soloists, a seven-piece jazz ensemble, world percussion from different cultures, the voices of whales, loons, harp seals, wolves, a choir and the audience.
On May 6th, the audience participates in this unique musical experience – and the audience is you! The choir is the Karen Schuessler Singers, from London. This is the 25th year for this excellent choir which has performed all over southern Ontario, in Michigan and at Festival 500, the international choral festival held in St. John’s, Newfoundland every second year. The two soloists are Denise Pelley, who has performed in Kincardine at the Summer Music Festival, and Peter Bornath, both from London as well. The seven-piece jazz ensemble includes the heads of music from three London and area high schools, as well as musicians from London, Kitchener and Toronto.
The silver sound of a soprano saxophone echoes the haunting four-note call of a female tundra wolf. The theme of the Alaskan wolf, a species which has existed for 30 million years, is taken up by the choir with the words, “Kyrie eleison”, which are Greek for “Lord, have mercy”. This is the spirit that inspires the choral work. Surrounding and interlacing four traditional movements of the mass: the Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei are several stirring pieces, ranging from Brazilian folksong and swinging gospel to traditional styles and Gregorian chant, which speak of the beauty of our ancient home and our interconnectedness with all of Creation. The rich variety of voices and styles mirror the truth that our Earth is made up of tremendous diversity. As the varied musical parts come together powerfully to reflect the greater whole, this unique work is about reclaiming the ancient knowledge that our world is a sacred place.
Tickets for this unique musical experience can be purchased at
the church office, 345 Durham Street, Mon – Fri, 9 AM – noon (519-396-6082),
or at J’Adorn, 770 Queen Street from 10 – 6 Mon – Sat (519-396-4438).
Adults are $25, children 12 and under are $12.50.