Secrets: The Hidden Mass

Frank Martin – Mass for Double Chorus (a cappella)
Zoltán Kodály – Missa Brevis (chorus and organ)

David Hayes, conductor
Paolo Bordignon, organist

Why hide a glorious piece of music in the bottom of a desk drawer for 40 years? What compels a composer to hide in a basement to write music during the destruction of his beloved city only to premiere it in a cloakroom?

NYCHORAL presents The Hidden Mass, a concert of choral works of two 20^th century composers – Frank Martin and Zoltán Kodály – who each created masterful compositions under extraordinary circumstances. Organist Paolo Bordignon joins The New York Choral Society for this concert. A pre-concert discussion exploring the creative processes of Martin and Kodály, is scheduled for 7 PM. All concert ticketholders are welcome to attend.

In pairing these two works, Music Director David Hayes notes “Compulsion, humility, perfectionism, danger and the burden of history continue to inform and confound the creative process. I hope to give our audiences insights into the powerful possibilities of creating beautiful music despite the obstacles of self-doubt or danger. Even without knowing the unusual contexts of these pieces, our audience will find them musically evocative and emotionally satisfying.”