Friday Afternoon Concert: Washington Bach Consort and Washington Master Chorale

The Washington Bach Consort will perform one of the four short masses, known as the "Lutheran Masses," that Bach created during the late 1730s. Unlike the famous B Minor Mass, the Missae breves only set the "Kyrie" and "Gloria" and represent some of Bach's finest compositions, most of which originally appeared as movements from his cantatas.

Such is the case of the G Minor Mass, all the movements of which are parodies of Cantatas 102, 72 and 187. It is scored for alto, tenor and bass soloists, chorus and orchestra consisting of 2 oboes, bassoon, strings and basso continuo.

The Washington Master Chorale will present Charles Ives' pioneering 20th century masterpiece Psalm 90 for chorus, percussion and organ. The program will also feature John Tavener's haunting Funeral Ikos and Dale Warland's The Voices, commissioned by 21 choruses as part of Chorus America's 2013 Joint Commissioning Project. The concert will close with the stirring second movement of Herbert Murrill's Magnifcat and Nunc Dimittis, with renowned organist Paul Skevington at The Church of the Epiphany's magnificently restored Aeolian Skinner organ.