CLARKSVILLE, TN – Gateway Chamber Orchestra presents two masterpieces composed by JS Bach to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the GCO’s Winter Baroque lineup. The concert will be presented Saturday, Nov. 19 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville and Sunday, Nov. 20 at Madison Street United Methodist Church in Clarksville.

The Gateway Chamber Orchestra is delighted to introduce nationally renowned choir director Tim Sharp as the new director of the newly renamed Gateway Chorale. Soloists will include soprano Penny Shumate, countertenor Min Sang Kim, mezzo soprano Emma Jane Sharp and bass Christopher Mitchell.

Gateway Chamber Orchestra Music Director Gregory Wolynec says, “It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since we launched the Winter Baroque lineup. Beautiful works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and more ushered in the holiday season at the beautiful Madison Street Sanctuary in Clarksville, and we are thrilled to share this program for the first time at Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville. It will be a glorious event!

Orchestral Suite No. 4

The four suites are in a popular French style, with this work featuring one of the greatest orchestras of the period. After a grand overture with trumpets and drums, a group of French dances lead to a joyful ending with a festive Réjouissance. Guest trumpeter Péter Solymosi joins us from Hungary for this special occasion.

The Bourgeois Gentleman

Jean-Baptiste Lully is considered the greatest of French Baroque composers. A composer to the court of Louis XIV, he defined French tastes with an emphasis on dance. His operas were famous for the extensive use of ballet and faster dance styles than his predecessors. “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” was Lully’s most successful collaboration with the famous playwright Molière and tells a satirical story of social ascent. GCO is thrilled to present a suite of rarely heard dances for this festive time of year.

Magnificat

The ‘Magnificat’, also known as the ‘Song of Mary’, is one of Bach’s most popular works. Sung in Latin, this piece features five soloists: two sopranos, an alto, a tenor and a bass. The text comes from the Gospel of Luke and concerns the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elisabeth, also pregnant. She welcomed Mary with these words: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Mary’s response Magnificat anima mea Dominum (“My soul magnifies the Lord.”) is the basis of this enduring music. The Magnificat is composed of twelve short parts, full of expressive power and praise of God’s compassion and mercy.

Winter Baroque

• Bach– Orchestral Suite No. 4
• Lully – Selections from ‘The Bourgeois Gentleman‘
• Bach– Magnificat