Noble Soul (dramatic musical dialogues of St. Catherine from 1701) at St. Vincent Ferrer

The Academy of Sacred Drama will present Noble Soul, their production of Tosi’s oratorio Il martirio di S Caterina (The Martyrdom of St. Catherine) from 1701 at St. James the Less Church (10 Church Ln, Scarsdale, NY 10583) on Saturday, March 15 at 7:45 PM. Catherine, a brilliant and devout Christian, confronts the ruthless King Maxentius. Refusing to renounce her faith, Catherine denounces Maxentius’ cruelty to Christians, converts members of the royal court, and earns a martyr’s fate.

A cast of five singers is headed by mezzo-soprano Kim Leeds in the tile role and is accompanied by an ensemble of Baroque-style instruments including harpsichord and theorbo. The Academy’s production is a semi-staged production and a Western Hemisphere premiere.