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Vox Humana presents The Little Match Girl Passion

David Lang’s reflective setting of The Little Match Girl, based on the short story by Hans Christian Andersen, combines the original story with influences from various sources, including Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

"I wanted to tell a story: A particular story - in fact, the story of The Little Match Girl by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The original is ostensibly for children, and it has that shocking combination of danger and morality that many famous children's stories do. A poor young girl, whose father beats her, tries unsuccessfully to sell matches on the street, is ignored, and freezes to death. Through it all she somehow retains her Christian purity of spirit, but it is not a pretty story.

What drew me to The Little Match Girl is that the strength of the story lies not in its plot but in the fact that all its parts - the horror and the beauty - are constantly suffused with their opposites. The girl's bitter present is locked together with the sweetness of her past memories; her poverty is always suffused with her hopefulness. There is a kind of naive equilibrium between suffering and hope." David Lang. 

Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2008, David Lang's reflective musical setting is based on Hans Christian Andersen's text. It tells the tragic story of a poor young girl, beaten by her father, who tries unsuccessfully to sell matches on the street, is ignored, and finally freezes to death.  Lang's setting of this original story incorporates influences from various sources, including Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

This exclusive performance will be performed with 4 soloists, in its original form, featuring two members of Vox Humana Chamber Choir and two members of Vancouver Chamber Choir. Also included in the programme is Compassio by British Columbia composer, David Archer.

Featured are two members of Vox Humana and two members of Vancouver Chamber Choir (Brian Wismath, conductor):

  • Kristen Birley, soprano
  • Stephanie Sartore, mezzo
  • Carman Price, tenor
  • Steven Bélanger, bass

 Details:       

  • Entrance: doors open 30 minutes before the concert
  • Duration: 1 hour
  • Admission: by donation
  • Great free parking. No stairs to climb.

All in the Parish of Central Saanich are warmly invited, as is everyone else in the community. The performance sponsored by Vox Humana at Christmas was sold out! So come early!

For further information download the attached file below, or contact Brian Wismath at (250) 885-9166, or check out www.voxhumanachoir.ca