Gil Harel: The Musical Setting of the Mass - from the Middle Ages to Dave Brubeck

Please join us as Dr. Gil Harel presents a 5-part series covering the musical settings for the Mass from Palestrina in the Renaissance to Dave Brubeck and beyond. Every composer worth his or her salt has met the challenge of setting the Mass to music. And some of our most important composers have left us some of the greatest masterpieces in music history. We'll start in the Middle Ages and Renaissance with the likes of Palestrina and des Prez, move on to Bach and his B Minor Mass, thence to Beethoven and Mozart. Two modern masters - Leonard Bernstein and Arvo Part - will bring us into the 20th Century. And we'll conclude with a deep examination of Dave Brubeck's To Hope.

March 19th: "Early Music and the Rise of the Mass: Settings of the Mass Ordinary in the Medieval and Renaissance Periods" 

April 16th: "Bach's B Minor Mass" 

May 14th: "Mozart, Beethoven, and Liturgical Music" 

June 4th: "Leonard Bernstein and Arvo Pärt - Modern Approaches to the Mass" 

June 25th: "Dave Brubeck's To Hope! - How a Jazz Legend Came to Set the Mass to Music" 

By 1980, Dave Brubeck had cemented his legacy as a jazz composer of generational significance. For the many fans of his work, he was perhaps an unlikely figure to have composed a setting of the traditional Mass Ordinary. At the time of his "conversion" to Catholicism (Brubeck famously opined "I didn't convert to Catholicism, because I wasn't anything to convert from"), he was one of the most famous and prolifically accomplished musicians in America. His Mass setting (To Hope! A Celebration) is stylistically heterogenous, showcasing nuanced vocal writing alongside blistering episodes of soloist-driven jazz. Written for jazz soloists, chorus, piano accompaniment (as well as optional instruments including handbells and celeste), To Hope has been performed in many different venues and formats, including as both a concert piece as well as part of a church service. Join Professor Gil Harel in this capstone program as he analyzes an unforgettably "Brubeck" slice of the Mass repertoire. 

Gil Harel (PhD, Brandeis University) is a musicologist and music theorist whose interests include styles ranging from the western classical repertoire to jazz. Previously, he served on the faculty at CUNY Baruch College (where he was awarded the prestigious “Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching”). Currently, he is Full Professor of Music at CT State Naugatuck Valley, where he has been presented with the AFT "Merit Award for Exemplary Service to the College" for 6 consecutive years. In 2020, he was honored with the coveted Connecticut Board of Regents (BOR) Teaching Award. At NVCC, Dr. Harel conducts the college chorale, a cappella ensemble, teaches music history and theory, and serves as musical director of theater productions.

Registration strongly recommended. Register online or call 203-762-6334. You will automatically be registered for all five sessions.