The Denison University Concert Choir, directed by Stephen Caracciolo, will perform "Music: Sacred and Profane" at its concert, set for 8 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 13) in Swasey Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public.

The sacred works, sunga capella, include "Salmo 150" by Ernani Aguiar, "Cherubic Hymn" by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and "Rocka-ma Soul" arranged by Paul Christiansen. The profane works come from Carl Orff's suite "Carmina Burana" with dual piano and percussion accompaniment prepared by Orff himself. Soloists in this work are: soprano Elaine Martin '05 from Thiensville, Wis.; soprano Mary Sheridan '06 from Troy, Ohio; baritone Jesse Koza '07 from Lancaster, Ohio; and baritone Chad Morris from Thornville, Ohio.

The Carmina Burana is a collection of poems, songs and short plays found in a Benedictine abbey near Munich, Germany in 1803. The manuscript is of 13th century German origin and contains approximately 250 poems and other pieces. Although the manuscript dates from the thirteenth century, most of it was written in the twelfth during a time of peace and prosperity. The majority of the Carmina Burana was written in Latin, the standard language of the time, however many pieces were written in Middle High German which shows the blossoming influence of vernacular languages on literature during this time.

Orff's work was first performed by the Frankfurt Opera on June 8, 1937. It combines a mix of percussion with tunefulness and choral accompaniment that is unusual. The lyrics cover a wide range of hedonism, from drinking songs, to love lyrics, gambling, gluttony, lust and sex. The music has been used in modern times in a wide variety of commercials, the films "Excalibur" and "The Doors," and with numerous movie trailers.

The program is planned to fine tune the choir'sa capellaperformances and prepare them for the spring program when they will prepare Pietro Mascagni's one-act opera, "Cavalleria Rusticana," with the Denison Orchestra.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

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