NEWS RELEASE
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In celebration of the solar eclipse, over 30 local young musicians will be presenting the world premiere of Justin Lapierre’s One Thousand Shields of Gold on June 1 and 2.
After 2024, we will not experience another total solar eclipse in our part of the world for over a century; One Thousand Shields meditates on what our Earth will have become by that time. Paired with Lapierre’s new work is Fauré’s Requiem, a musical depiction of the “flight of the soul to heaven” that explores the interplay between light and dark.
The chamber choir and orchestra was formed by Guelph native Ben Wallace in 2022, with the purpose of highlighting the music of contemporary Canadian composers. After successful Kitchener performances of Lapierre’s Messe de Ste. Anne (2022) and Stabat Mater (2023 – available on Spotify), this year marks the ensemble’s first appearance in the Royal City.
The concert features an impressive complement of soloists representing some of the area’s most exciting rising talent, including Cassandra Amorim (soprano), Autumn Debassige (mezzo-soprano), Grace Ronan (mezzo-soprano), Xander Bechard (tenor), and Dante Mullin Santone (baritone).
Performances will take place at Dublin Street United Church (Guelph) on June 1 at 7:30pm and at the Church of St. John the Evangelist (Kitchener) on June 2 at 3:00pm. Tickets can be purchased at faure-lapierre.com, and more information can be found by following @lapierre_shieldsofgold on Instagram.
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