The UNC Charlotte Chorale and the Chamber Orchestra will perform J.S. Bach’s “Magnificat” in D major at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3, in the Belk Theater of the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts.
Bach first composed the “Magnificat” in 1723 for the Christmas Vespers at Saint Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany, where he was music director. In 1733, he re-worked the piece.
The University’s performance on Dec. 3, under the direction of Randy Haldeman, director of choral studies, will include two sections later omitted from the original composition. The text of the “Magnificat” (“My soul doth magnify the Lord”), known also as the Canticle of Mary, comes from the Gospel of Luke and represents Mary’s song at the visitation of her cousin Elizabeth, following the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary of the Incarnation. This Biblical text has been set to music more often than any other liturgical text, except the Mass.
Bach’s “Magnificat” calls for five soloists, a five-part chorus and orchestra. The 14 movements take approximately 40 minutes to perform.
Tickets for the concert, which are $6, $4 for students, can be purchased online or by calling the Robinson Hall Box Office at 704-687-1849.