At the time, it was said to be the war to end all wars. One hundred years after the end of World War I, LancasterChorale is paying solemn tribute in music and readings of poetry and letters to those who gave their lives in that conflict.
鈥�It鈥檚 one of the most emotionally charged performances that LancasterChorale has ever given,鈥� said Artistic Director in a recent interview.
This weekend, LancasterChorale the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I with Vigil in Memoriam 1918: Rachmaninov and Voices from World War I. Performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 in and at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28 in in Lancaster.
LancasterChorale鈥檚 performances come just two weeks before the Nov. 11 Veterans Day holiday, which this year also marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the official end of hostilities on the war鈥檚 Western Front.
In planning Vigil in Memoriam 1918, Caracciolo noted other World War I centennial commemorations around the world and determined that LancasterChorale should also pay tribute to the fallen.
鈥淟ancasterChorale ought to be adding its voice to this community remembering those who perished,鈥� he said.
The program features Rachmaninov鈥檚 All-Night Vigil, a work composed in 1915 and first performed that year at a concert in support of the Russian war effort.
鈥淭hat music suits LancasterChorale very, very well, and we had been wanting to bring that forward,鈥� Caracciolo said.
The program鈥檚 second half interweaves choral works by Gail Kubik, James MacMillan, , Maurice Ravel, Edward Elgar and present-day composer , and solo trumpet music that Caracciolo composed specially for the occasion with readings of World War I-era poems and letters between an American soldier and his mother.
鈥淚 was determined to make it something very heartfelt, something reverent, something very dignified,鈥� Caracciolo said of the concert鈥檚 second half, which he says has the feel of a Ken Burns documentary unfolding in real time.
鈥淲hen you watch these classic documentaries by Ken Burns on television, you just enter into these amazing stories, these personal stories interwoven with images and music that鈥檚 coming from afar, the reading of letters,鈥� Caracciolo said.
鈥淚t brings the whole story forward in a way that鈥檚 very personal and very real,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e going to do is something live, with poetry read aloud and that trumpet da lontano 鈥� off in the distance 鈥� and then this beautiful choral music and the letters woven all together.鈥�
, professor of trumpet at the Ohio State University and member of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, will perform as trumpet soloist. I will serve as guest reader in poems by Laurence Binyon, Rupert Brooke, Walt Whitman, John McCrae and others.
And members of LancasterChorale will read aloud a series of letters between American serviceman Lawrence Williams and his mother.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e very touching; they鈥檙e very personal,鈥� Caracciolo said of the letters. 鈥淲e see this change in attitude from Lawrence. He thought that he was going to be serving rather shortly and rather victoriously and then go right back home. And about the third letter in, he says, 鈥楾his is really going to be longer than all of us thought it was going to be.鈥欌��
The performance will also include a special moment to honor by name those from Lancaster who died while serving in World War I.
鈥淲e wanted to make sure that veterans felt that they were honored in this performance,鈥� Caracciolo said. 鈥淎nd we can imagine that there are going to be people in the audience for these performances that have lost people in recent conflicts. And we hope and we know 鈥� we鈥檙e confident 鈥� that this performance will honor them as well.鈥�
LancasterChorale performs Vigil in Memoriam 1918: Rachmaninov and Voices from World War I at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 in Worthington United Methodist Church and 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28 in St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Lancaster.
