Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, April 15, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Choral Concert explores inner and outer worlds.

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni is going to directly contrast music that is outgoing, bold, brash and big with music that is reflective, contemplative and inward. The inner and outer spaces of choral music.

On the big and bold side you will hear "Glory", from Songs of the Forest by Dimitri Shostakovitch. It’s a grand throwback to the Soviet era where composers were required to create music to glorify the accomplishments of the empire. In this case it was the huge re-forestation program in Siberia in the late 1940’s. You’ll hear a big, passionate performance with the Yurlov Russian Choir and the Moscow Philharmonic orchestra.

On the inner and reflective side we are going to turn to David Mott. Mott is a Canadian mystic, a composer, a zen meditator, a baritone sax virtuoso and a karate master.

He has written a piece for the Edmonton based choir Pro Coro that features the choir along with the occasional interjection from Mott on his baritone sax.

It’s a piece that plays a lot with inner space,  he calls it “Heart Meditations”.  In it David expresses a lifetime of disciplined practice, both in music and in meditation. The piece is an expression of a form of Buddhist meditation called the “heart practice”, a practice that focuses on the still, divine heart within.

So join us this Sunday for Choral Concert: Inner and Outer Worlds.

Don’t forget that CBCMUSIC.CA has lots to offer for classical music lovers, there are 10 classical streams, available 24 / 7. You can also check out the Choral Concert blog plus extensive videos and concerts in all genres.