Springtime makes us think of new life and new possibilities. The Earth brings forth new shoots and seeds germinate in time for summer growth and an anticipated harvest, and Christians think of Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus. Spring festivals demand music, and composers have willingly provided choral works for generations. Many of these works celebrate the weather, the ground finally thawing and a corresponding spring in our step (pun intended!), and here we present songs, dances and reflections in praise of this exciting time of the year. As part of a new commitment to championing the work of female composers and supporting new works, this concert series includes the World Premiere of a new work by Phoenix Chorale soprano Kira Zeeman Rugen, with text reflecting on Phoenix’s namesake bird – perhaps the most enduring symbol of birth and rebirth.

The first in Phoenix Masterworks, a series of concerts celebrating some of the most timeless and inspiring works for voices from the Renaissance to the present day, this concert also showcases American composer Aaron Copland, with his masterpiece In the Beginning, written for Mezzo-Soprano solo and chorus, providing a central theme of creation and new life at the beginning of the second half.