Contact: Sharina Smith, Office of Marketing & Communications
BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Chorale of Southwest Baptist University will present The Peaceable Kingdom by Randall Thompson on Tuesday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Bolivar, Mo. The public is invited to attend and there is no admission charge for the concert.
The Peaceable Kingdom, established as a masterpiece of unaccompanied choral writing, was commissioned in 1936 and was inspired by a painting of the same name by the naturalist Edward Hicks, the preaching Quaker of Pennsylvania. The painting depicts Isaiah, Chapter XI, verses 6 to 9, one of Hicks' favorite subjects in preaching and painting, which begins: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the wolf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them."
In Thompson's work, the selected verses are declaimed by the chorus and their meaning sets the stage for a variety of choral techniques: opposing choruses expressing the contrast between blessings bestowed on the righteous and woes inflicted upon the wicked; discordant harmonies depicting harsh punishments; soprano and bass lines mirroring each and double choruses whose fullness of parts embody overwhelming joy and gladness of heart.
The Chorale is a selectively auditioned mixed choir of 37 voices under the direction of Dr. James Tarrant, director of choral studies and professor of music at SBU.
###
Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.
SBU’s Office of Marketing and Communications is available to news media 24 hours a day at (417) 399-7918.
