By Ana Carolina Morales
The Children’s and Youth Symphony Choirs of El Sistema Texas will perform out of Houston’s city limits for the first time. A group of 35 students will sing along the Blinn College (Brenham) and Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Bryan) Choirs. The artists will perform part of the piece titled Requiem, from the French composer and organist Gabriel Fauré.
Maestro Daniel Trevor Bircher is the conductor of this assembly, and Dr. Linda Patterson is the organist. The first performance will be on Saturday, March 23, at Blinn College Schmidt Building at 5:00 pm in Brenham, Texas. The second presentation will be on Sunday, March 24, at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church at 5:00 pm in Bryan, Texas.
The choir program manager and founder of El Sistema Texas, Jessica Colmenares, explained that 35 students ―ages 7 to 14― are joining this collaborative performance. The students will intervene in the last movement called In Paradisum.
“For our children, these performances represent a crucial alliance. They can connect with institutions that allow them to grow professionally. We want to provide an artistic and collaborative environment that offers equal opportunities regardless of ethnic origin and social status,” stated Colmenares.
People interested in enjoying this performance can get their tickets online. To book a seat at Blinn’s College Theater, click this link and see the students on Saturday, March 23, at 5:00 pm. The address is 800 College Ave. Brenham, TX.
The second performance does not require seat reservation since it will be inside Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The choirs will perform on Palm Sunday, March 24, at 5:00 pm at 217 W. 26th St. Bryan, TX.
The piece Requiem (Latin: rest) by Fauré dates from 1887 to 1890. His composition is about peaceful acceptance and release. The melodies are serene, elevating, comforting.
This is not the first time that El Sistema Texas choirs have participated in a collaborative environment. In their first concert, the choirs shared the stage with Amigos Por Vida School Choir. They also performed with the Houston Hispanic Choir at a Christmas concert in 2022.
In 2023, a selection of the choir shared the stage with the opera company Opera in the Heights in the play titled Hansel and Gretel.
To listen to what El Sistema Texas choirs can do, click this link and enjoy their past performances.
