The music of 18th and 19th century Moravian composers will be brought to life in a concert at Graceham Moravian Church in Maryland on July 22.
Arranged by Jacob Wilkinson, a classical composer and researcher interested in the music of early European American communal societies, the concert will feature vocal music by Moravian composers including Peter Ricksecker, Johannes Herbst, Johann Christian Bechler, Christian Gregor, Johan Ludwig Freydt, and Christian Gottfried Geisler. The concert will take place in the exact church building in Graceham where many of the pieces on the program were performed in the 19th century.
“The event will be a unique opportunity to experience the rich history and living tradition of Moravian music, a tradition that continues to inspire audiences, performers, and scholars from around the globe,” says Wilkinson. “It will help to add Graceham’s voice to the fascinating story of Moravian music in early America. It has been a joy for me to study the music of Graceham over the past year, and I hope it will be a joy for audiences to hear this beautiful music performed live at Graceham once again.”
The concert stems from a project Wilkinson developed at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. The project is supported by a Peabody Career Development Grant, and will feature musicians from Peabody. The Graceham congregation partnered with Wilkinson to bring the concert to fruition.
Graceham will host the event on Saturday, July 22 at 7 p.m. The event will be livestreamed; to learn more visit www.gracehammoravian.org. Additional information on the project can be found here.