The concert was starting, and we were puzzled by the several rows of empty seats behind us. This was unusual for the Handel Society. Then the singers came on the stage, and there were a number of high school students, mostly in white (as a contrast to the Handel Society singers in black). They sat down for the first movements, but stood and joined in for the rest.
The first part was Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen. A nice piece, beautiful voices, done well.
For the second part, the high school singers sat in the audience, and we then understood why the seats were empty beforehand. Then the chorus started Mozart’s Requiem. It is such a beautiful piece, both for the choir and the soloists. Even in Mozart didn’t write it all, it is so moving, you don’t want it to end. You could tell how much the musicans and singers enjoyed the piece too. I am glad that the Handel Society does this one every 3 years or so.
Dartmouth chorus and local high school students offer luminous choral program