The Church of the Transfiguration Celebrates Benjamin Britten's 100th Birthday with CURLEW RIVER, 3/8-9

The Church of the Transfiguration ("The Little Church Around the Corner") presents Curlew River in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten. This will be a fully staged and costumed production of Britten's chamber opera about a Madwoman searching for her son, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered, as performed by Medieval monks.

Starring:

Christopher Preston Thompson - The Madwoman Tim Krol - The Ferryman
Nicholas Connolly - The Traveller
Peter Ludwig - The Abbot
and featuring Philip Debrito as The Spirit of the Boy

Costumes: Terri Bush
Set Design: Victoria Valencia Dramaturg: Betty Howe
Stage Director: Richard Olson Music Director: Claudia Dumschat

Selections from Britten's Songs for a Friday Afternoon featuring The Transfiguration Boys and Girls Choirs will also be performed.

This is an Arnold Schwartz Memorial Concert. Performances are set for today, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 2013 7:30pm at The Church of the Transfiguration, "The Little Church Around the Corner", One East 29th Street (between Fifth and Madison Avenues) New York, NY. Tickets: $25; $15 for students and seniors Reservations & info: (212) 684-4174. Subways: 1, N, R or 6 to 28th Street; B, D, F or M to 34th Street Herald Square By bus: M1, M2, M3, M5, M6 or M7. Call 917-359-4449 for more information, or visit www.littlechurch.org/music.

The Choir of Men and Boys is the oldest such choir in the United States and the only one not affiliated with a school. It consists of 16 boys, ages 8-14, auditioned and selected from the New York metropolitan area, with diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. The boys rehearse several times each week and not only are paid but also receive incremental scholarships through the Anthony J. Mercede Scholarship Fund, based on their years of participation. The full Choir of Men and Boys sings every Sunday morning at the 11:00 A.M. Mass. The style and sound of the choir began in the great cathedrals and collegiate choirs of England, where the uppermost musical line was written specifically for the timbre of boys' treble voices. Eight professional adult men sing the alto (countertenor), tenor and bass parts with the boys. The music they sing is from the English and European choral tradition: Bach, Byrd, Stanford, Willan, Haydn, Rorem, among others.