Youth Academy Features World Premiere

Anton Armstrong attracts a crowd at a SFYCA concert.

One of the most significant additions to the Oregon Bach Festival—more than ten years ago—was the creation of a youth choral program for high school singers. Each year 85 talented singers, selected by audition from all across the country, come to Eugene for twelve days of intensive and inspirational music-making under the direction of acclaimed choral conductor Anton Armstrong. Many of the students have described the experience as “life-changing,” and if you come to their concert you will see why.

The July 3 concert in the beautiful Great Hall of First Baptist Church includes the world premiere of “This House of Peace” by Ralph Johnson, commissioned for the opening of the new Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Eugene. Johnson has set the collected words of patients who have recovered from serious illness into music and poetry of healing.

Other selections include music by Henry Purcell, Franz Schubert, Gabriel Fauré, Handel, as well as some beautiful contemporary choral music.  The singers will be joined on the program by soprano Maria Jette and the Festival Chamber Orchestra. If you love choral music, don’t miss this one!

More concert details.