Times, Dates, and Locations
May 7th @ 3PM
Norman Chapel at Spring Grove Cemetery
4527-4517 Spring Grove Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45232
The theme of this concert is From Death to Life – Our program employs the aural, visual, and spacial senses to portray a progression from mourning to gladness, from grief to acceptance, from death to life. Come join us and experience the beauty of the chapel and the beauty of nature.
Our program employs the aural, visual, and spacial senses to portray a progression from mourning to gladness, from grief to acceptance, from death to life. The experience begins long before the first downbeat. Upon entering Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, audience members and participating musicians alike are confronted by the dichotomy of weathered tombs surrounded by blooming spring flora. The 1880 Norman Chapel’s atmosphere is heavy and dark, except for the large stained glass window depicting the ascension of Jesus into heaven that dominates the altar space and illuminates the entire nave. The chapel will also be adorned with local textile artist Cynthia Lockhart’s earthy I Am Still Here, which transforms in meaning as the program’s music progresses.
This concert does not seek to answer the question of the afterlife or attempt to erase grief from the reality of death. Permanence and impermanence, mortality and immortality, and hope and despair are constantly present and held in balance throughout the entire program. Ultimately, this program reframes the first words of Purcell’s burial service, “In the midst of life, we are in death” into the presently apropos “In the midst of death, we are in life.”