DCINY Presents Will Todd's MASS IN BLUE At Lincoln Center

DCINY (Distinguished Concerts International New York) presents an evening of music by English composer Will Todd led by Maestros James Meaders (DCINY Conductor) and Alicia Walker (DCINY Guest Conductor). Performed by Distinguished Concerts Singers International with Todd on piano accompanied by his Jazz Trio and soloist Kristin Claiborne, soprano, the evening will feature three works by Todd, his acclaimed Mass in Blue, Songs of Peace and No More Sorrow. The concert will be held on Sunday, April 7, at 2 pm at the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Tickets start at $20 and may be purchased by visiting DCINY.org.

A composer and jazz pianist, Will Todd, DCINY Composer-in-Residence, is best known for combining jazz and blues with traditional choral music. His Mass in Blue is a blend of driving jazz grooves and choral writing with solo piano and solo soprano voice. This central work is complemented by musical settings of religious texts, infused with a highly individual and melodic style, bringing traditional choral music into the 21st century.

Mass in Blue was commissioned by Hertfordshire Chorus and written for Will Todd's wife, soprano Bethany Halliday. The work has been performed over 200 times at venues including the Barbican, London and Lincoln Center, New York City and has been performed live on BBC Radio.

Songs of Peace is a 6-movement requiem. No More Sorrow is a standalone anthem based on text from Revelations 21.

Will Todd is a UK-based performer and composer whose music spans a variety of styles and genres. Best known for his choral works, his 2003 jazz mass setting Mass in Blue has been performed hundreds of times all over the world since its premiere by choirs in the UK, Europe, and the USA. His anthem, The Call of Wisdom, was performed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations with a TV audience of 45 million people. Other notable works for choir range from large-scale oratorios such as Saint Cuthbert (recorded by the Hallé Orchestra in 2002) to the anthem Stay with Me Lord, commissioned for The Sixteen.

Todd has worked on operas and stage works for Opera Genesis at the Royal Opera House and the National Opera Studio, and his 2009 Jazz Concerto for Clarinet, written for Emma Johnson, has been performed in the UK, USA, and Finland. His arrangement of Amazing Grace was performed at President Obama's Inauguration Day prayer service in 2013 and as part of the BBC's Nelson Mandela Thanksgiving Service.

Founded in 2007 by Iris Derke and Jonathan Griffith, with its first public performance in January 2008, DCINY is a leading producer of dynamic musical entertainment in renowned international venues. Over 40,000 musicians representing 48 countries and all 50 United States have participated in DCINY productions. Since the inception of the company, DCINY has produced 17 world premieres and more than 200 concerts for over 200,000 audience members.

With unforgettable, world-class concert experiences, empowering educational programs, and a global community of artists and audiences, DCINY changes lives through the power of musical performance. In addition to being selected four times for Inc. 5000, DCINY has received national recognition with multiple American Prizes: Jonathan Griffith, Founder and Music Director of Distinguished Concerts Orchestra (Winner 2014 American Prize in Conducting, Professional Orchestra Division), DCINY's General Director and Co-Founder Iris Derke and the DCINY Team (Winner 2015 American Prize in Arts Marketing), and Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) has been recognized by LUX Life Magazine as the Most Outstanding Musical Education Program 2019 - New York.


MASS IN BLUE: THE MUSIC OF Will Todd
Sunday, April 7, 2019, 2 PM,
David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center
Tickets start at $20
DCINY presents an evening of music by English composer Will Todd led by Maestros James Meaders (DCINY Conductor) and Alicia Walker (DCINY Guest Conductor). Performed by Distinguished Concerts Singers International with Todd, on piano, jazz quartet, and soloist Kristin Claiborne, Soprano, the evening will feature Mass in Blue, Songs of Peace and No More Sorrow.