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MACMILLAN Seven Last Words from the Cross

JAMES MACMILLAN
SEVEN LAST WORDS FROM THE CROSS & ONE EQUAL MUSIC

The Adult and Youth choirs of Cantores in Ecclesia with String Orchestra
DAVID HILL, guest conductor

at St Philip Neri Catholic Church
7:30 pm, Wednesday, April 13th 2022

James MacMillans "Seven Last Words from the Cross" (1994) is one of the most intense works of choral music written in the last generation. It is a large piece in seven movements, each reflecting on one of the dying statements of Christ as recorded in the gospels. MacMillan borrows freely from traditional sources such as Scottish funeral laments and the ceremonies of Holy Week, adding his own distinctive musical style and vast emotional range. MacMillan's "One Equal Music" (2016) was commissioned by John Morrill in memory of his wife, Frances. The text is taken from a prayer by John Donne. The Mount Angel performance will be the North American premier of this new work.

Renowned for his fine musicianship, David Hill is widely respected as both a choral and orchestral conductor. His talent has been recognized by his appointments as Musical Director of The Bach Choir, Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society, Associate Guest conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum. He was Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers from September 2007 to September 2017, and is a former Music Director of Southern Sinfonia.

Mr. Hill has had a long association with Cantores in Ecclesia, beginning in 1987, when the choir sang for Mass in Westminster Cathedral in London. He came to Portland the following year to give an organ recital and to conduct Charles Marie Widor's "Mass for Two Choirs and Two Organs." Since then, he has conducted Cantores in Ecclesia on several occasions over the years.