Dear Friends,

MOS will conclude its 29 th Season on May 6 with a concert entitled The French Connection . The Georgia Philharmonic , under the direction of Maestro John Morrison, will join MOS for this program featuring the music of three unique and fascinating French composers: Maurice Durufl é , Francis Poulenc, and Camille Saint-Sa ëns .

We will begin the concert with our 35-voice ensemble, Kaleidoscope, singing Quatre Motets sur des Thèmes Gr égoriens (Four Motets on Gregorian Themes ) by Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) . These beautiful and reflective piece s are based on haunting Gregorian Chant melodies from the Middle Ages. In writing these pieces, Duruflé utilized a personal modal harmonic approach, and in so doing, created four short a cappella gems.

Next, t he full 140-voice MOS Chorus and 65-member Georgia Philharmonic will be joined by Soprano Caitlin Andrews Bayles in a performance of the joyous and jazzy Gloria by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) . Based on the words from the second part of the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Mass, Poulenc said he wanted to make his Gloria "a joyous hymn to the glory of God." He further stated, perhaps in response to some critics of his exuberant approach to the text: "I simply thought of those frescoes of Gozzoli (a fifteenth-century Italian painter) in which the angels are sticking out their tongues and also of those serious Benedictine monks I spotted one day playing soccer."

The concert will conclude with the Georgia Philharmonic and Organist Tom Alderman performing Symphony No. 3 in C Minor by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Also known as the " Organ Symphony" because of the addition of the organ to the traditional orchestral instrumentation, this monumental work displays the composer's respect for Classical traditions, but also his appreciation for the dramatic possibilities of the late Romantic period. P ossibly recognizing that this would be his last symphonic effort , Saint-Saëns said this about the piece: "I gave everything to it I was able to give. What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again."

The French Connection will take place at 3 PM on Sunday, May 6, at Roswell United Methodist Church. I hope to see you there for an afternoon of beautiful and memorable music !

Sincerely,

Michael