Dec. 13, 2023 By Rachel Butler
The Queens College Choral Society will take to the stage at the LeFrak Concert Hall in the Music Building on the Queens College Campus in Flushing on Saturday Dec. 16 for a festive evening of entertainment.
The evening will feature performances of Margaret Bonds’ ‘The Ballad of the Brown King’ and selections from G.F Handal’s coronation anthems. The concert will open with songs from Karen LeFrak’s album ‘Christmas Cookies’.
‘The Ballad of the Brown King’ is a cantata song that was written by Margaret Bonds, an American composer, and was first premiered in 1954. It was written in honor of Balthazar, identified in Greek manuscripts as one of the three kings from the story of the birth of Jesus.
G. F Handel was a German-British composer who is most famous for composing coronation anthems.
“Coronation anthems are uplifting and celebratory works specially commissioned for the crowning of a sovereign,” a Queens College spokesperson said. “These compositions have been performed at every English coronation ceremony since 1727, including that of King Charles III in May 2023.”
The concert will begin with songs written by Karen LeFrak who is a children’s book author and recording artist.
The Choral Society was founded in 1941 and has typically performed two concerts a year, one in May and the other in December with a full orchestra.
“QCCS has also performed multiple premieres of new works, including the recent premiere of “1001 Voices: A Symphony for Queens,” commissioned by the Queens Symphony Orchestra.
The group is open to taking on singers of all backgrounds and skill levels, from high school students to adult community members.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25. They can be purchased online at the Kupferberg Center Box office website.