Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph/St. Teresa of Avila, at 856 Pacific St. in Prospect Heights. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The rarely-performed, majestic sound of polychoral music dating from the 1600s Renaissance is coming on Dec. 8 and 9 to a century-old Brooklyn cathedral, the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph/St. Teresa of Avila at 856 Pacific St.
In polychoral music, multiple choirs are positioned at different locations to produce what has been called “one of the most magnificent sounds ever created.” The interplay of the separated choirs in a resonant, cathedral setting results in a rich “surround sound” that is impossible to capture on recordings.
This ambitious performance, called “A Polychoral Christmas,” is presented by Music at Co-Cathedral (MACC), the acclaimed music ministry led by Alejandro Zuleta. Cristina Maria Castro serves as associate creative director.
Four choirs will be located in separate locations during the performance — two from the MACC Ensemble, and two from The Unsung Collective, a Harlem-based music collective conducted and founded by Tyrone Clinton Jr.
“‘A Polychoral Christmas’ showcases the polychoral Venetian tradition known as ‘cori spezzati’ or separated choirs,” Zuleta told the Brooklyn Eagle. “This style of composition and performance was created in the early sixteen-hundreds in Italy and perfected by Venetian masters like Willaert and the two Gabriellis. In this magnificent music, several choirs sing from distant places to create a texture that immerses listeners in the most wonderful of musical experiences.”
The choirs will be performing Charpentier’s “Mass for Four Choirs” and “Te Deum,” which Zuleta described as “works that are at the pinnacle of this larger-than-life musical tradition.” A Baroque orchestra with period instruments, which performs under the umbrella of the MACC Ensemble, will be accompanying the choirs.
Read the full article here