The Da Pacem Domine concert at Holy Cross yesterday was wonderful. Not only was the choir excellent (led by Christian Grube, emeritus professor of choral conducting at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin), the church provided a beautiful setting for the music. On a rainy day, rays of sun intermittently illuminating the interior through the stained glass windows created a colorful, yet solemn atmosphere, perfect for the repertoire. I braced myself; I thought I might be moved by the sincerity of the Gregorian Chants, or by the Motets by composers Heinrich Schütz and Hugo Distler, who both experienced the 30 Year War. I let my guard down for Mendelssohn, since I considered him the emotional lightweight in the line-up. How naive of me, of course it was his "Verleih' uns Frieden" that knocked me out completely. Never underestimate the impact of a Romantic!(By the way, Harper's online honored Felix's 200th birthday in February with a short article and link to Fischer-Dieskau singing the aria “It is enough” from "Elija")
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