Houston Chamber Choir to Open Season at Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 9/16

The Houston Chamber Choir opens its 19th season - "The Voices of Houston" - with choral works of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods that were inspired by the allure and breathtaking architecture of San Marco. The preeminent Canadian sackbut and string ensemble ¡Sacabuche! joins the Houston Chamber Choir to kick off the season. Audiences will journey through glorious polychoral and antiphonal works of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, Hans Leo Hassler, Heinrich Schütz, and others, presented at the acoustically superb Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on September 16th.

¡Sacabuche! specializes in Italian, Polish, and German music of the 16th and 17th centuries using baroque instrumentation including sackbuts (baroque trombones), violins, cornettos, dulcian, harp, organ, and voice. They are also noted for their dedication to creative and engaging interpretations of early Baroque and late Renaissance masterpieces, and for their willingness to explore multi-genre works. ¡Sacabuche! director, Linda Pearse, "look[s] forward to working with this dynamic and effervescent vocal ensemble. The timeless theme of Venice - revisited under the expert direction of Robert Simpson with the Houston Chamber Choir - promises a concert of expressive virtuosity that will caress the hearts and feed the souls of the listener."

The Gabrielis created a sensation in late 16th century Venice with their works for antiphonal choirs of singers and instruments. Giovanni (1554-1612) followed his uncle Andrea Gabrieli (1532-1585) as maestro di cappella at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, one of the most recognized buildings in the world. St. Mark's has a balcony in each of the four corners of the building, a unique architectural feature which inspired the Gabrielis' polychoral and antiphonal style of composition. Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) was one of many young composers who flocked to Venice to learn this style of composition, and he became the first composer to bring the polychoral tradition across the Alps to his native Germany. Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), who for most experts is considered the greatest German composer before Bach, also studied this new style with Giovanni Gabrieli, earning Giovanni the distinction of being the only person whom Schütz ever referred to by name as one of his teachers.

TICKETS: Purchase tickets online at www.HoustonChamberChoir.org or call (713) 224-5566.

First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood: General admission tickets at concert are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (65 and over), and $10 for students (with valid ID).

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart: General admission tickets at concert are $40 for adults, $36 for seniors (65 and over), and $10 for students (with valid ID).