Colin Britt

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

As I announced over the summer, I am very excited and honored to be the commissioned composer for a shared anniversary celebration – the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Hartt School (my alma mater) and the 70th anniversary of the New Haven Chorale.  Dr. Edward Bolkovac, my former teacher and mentor, will conduct the premiere, which will be performed by the Hartt School Choruses and members of the Hartt Symphony Orchestra, the New Haven Chorale, and the Hartford Chorale.

The new piece, titled In the Service of the Beautiful, is for choir, string orchestra, harp, and wind instruments. The libretto is a compilation of texts and writings by Moshe Paranov, one of the founders and longest-serving faculty members of the Hartt School. The title comes from a motto the school adopted in the 20th century, translated from the Greek Eneka tou kalou, which serves as a melodic motif throughout the work.

Woolsey Hall

The premieres will take place on May 1st, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, and on May 3rd, at Woolsey Hall in New Haven. Full details about the performance can be found below:

As part of the ongoing celebration of its 100th Anniversary, The Hartt School of the University of Hartford is pleased to announce two exciting performances on Friday, May 1 at 7PM at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, and Sunday, May 3 at 4:30PM at Woolsey Hall at Yale University in New Haven! Both concerts will feature Berlioz’s jubilant Te Deum, In the Service of the Beautiful, a newly commissioned work by Hartt alum Colin Britt, and two works by Gabrieli and Gesualdo arranged for brass by Edward Cumming. In addition, the May 1 concert will also include Intrada 1631 by Stephen Montague, and the May 3 concert will feature the premiere of a new piece by Steven Gryc written for trombonist Haim Avitsur. The massive performing forces will include The Hartt School Choruses and Symphony Orchestra, as well as longtime community collaborators: The New Haven Chorale, Edward Bolkovac, Music Director; the Hartford Chorale, Richard Coffey, Music Director; and organist Ezequiel Menendez. Conductors for these two gala concerts will include Glen Adsit, Edward Bolkovac, Ziwei Ma, and Haksong Lee. Mark your calendars now for these two extraordinary performances!!