Waukesha Choral Union to present “Magnificat, Magnificat” Christmas Concerts

The Waukesha Choral Union (WCU) celebrates the Christmas season with “Magnificat, Magnificat,” featuring three unique treatments of the biblical text of Mary discovering she is carrying Jesus, anchored by Vivaldi’s masterful setting. Two performances will be presented; Friday, December 11, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Waukesha, and Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, Oconomowoc. Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for seniors (60+) and students, $2 children (11 and under.)

“This concert will be a perfect occasion for your family to experience Luke's gospel text set by composers from three different eras,” said Waukesha Choral Union artistic director, Ernest Brusubardis, III. "My Soul Magnifies the Lord" was the profession of Mary upon learning she would bear the Savior. WCU performs Italian Antonio Vivaldi's "Magnificat" from the early 1700s; English composer, Charles Stanford's "Magnificat" from the late 1800s; and Russian Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Magnificat" movement from his 1915 work, "All-night vigil."

Advance tickets, with savings of up to 18 percent over regular prices, are available online at http://www.ChoralUnion.org, by phone at 414-297-9310, and at all Waukesha State Bank locations. Tickets will also be available the day of each concert at the door.

Upcoming concerts in the 2009 – 2010 “Putting Together a Community of Singers” season:

• March 28, 2010, the community at large becomes a piece of the puzzle in the annual tradition of inviting interested singers to join the WCU onstage for Haydn’s “Creation,” including full orchestra and soloists.

• May 16, 2010 completes the big picture with a rare presentation of Verdi’s “Requiem,” performed in collaboration with Bel Canto Chorus, Milwaukee Choristers and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in the Oconomowoc Arts Center.

“The Waukesha Choral Union continues a long tradition of collaborating with other musicians and groups, putting together pieces of the very colorful and diverse arts community in which we live,” said Brusubardis. “I invite everyone to take part in our season of exciting live music performed in great venues by our community’s great ensembles.”

As the premiere vocal group in the area, the Waukesha Choral Union has been musically active in the community for over 50 years. Originally a combination of the Carroll College student chorus and community singers known as the Waukesha Choral Society in 1949, the group became the Town and Gown in 1961 and the Waukesha Choral Union in 1974, taking its present form as an auditioned choir in 1978. For more information, visit http://www.ChoralUnion.org.