NMH Presents 114th Sacred Concert

MOUNT HERMON, MA—Northfield Mount Hermon School’s 114th Concert of Sacred Music, to be held May 11, 2008, at 2:30 pm in the Auditorium in Northfield, MA, features the world premiers of two songs. The first, a piece called “Babel,” was composed and orchestrated by the NMH symphony orchestra, led by Lysander Jaffe, a junior from Conway. The second was commissioned by the choral group the Select Women’s Ensemble. Called “Shaker Sampler,” it was composed by an alumnus of the class of 1950, Philip Dieterrich, a conductor and composer whose granddaughter is a member of the SWE.

Other works to be performed include “Hineh Ma Tov,” a Hebrew round, which starts the concert and which translated to English means, “How good it is and how pleasant for people to dwell together.” This song touches upon the theme of the concert, which is peace. The Symphony Orchestra will play “Brother James’ Air,” by Leith MacBeth Bain; Haydn’s “Paukenmesse,” or “Mass in the Time of War,” will be performed by the Concert Choir, the Alumni Choir, and the Symphony Orchestra. The Chamber Orchestra will play the “Prelude from the Holberg Suite” by Edvard Greig and the Concert Choir will sing “I Believe,” an anthem from the 2007 musical Spring Awakening. Also on tap are movements from the Karl Jenkins piece “Armed Man: A Mass for Peace” and Eric Whitacre’s “Water Night” by the NMH Singers. To close out the concert, all attendees will sing the Northfield Benediction: the words are from the Bible, and the tune was composed long ago by a teacher at the Northfield School for Girls, Lucy Rider Meyer (1849-1922).

The concert is free and open to the public. For directions to NMH, call 413-498-3000 or visit www.nmhschool.org.

Contact Kate Snyder: 413-498-3357

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