"Epoch of Hughes" World Premiere

Mozart’s Requiem is one of choral music’s undisputed masterpieces. Yet it presents a paradox, since it was incomplete when Mozart died. We hear the completion by his student Franz Xaver Süssmayr, at once noble and sobering. The genius and power of Mozart’s splendid choral and solo vocal writing grip one’s attention throughout this moving, powerful Requiem.

Paired with Mozart’s timeless masterpiece is Jasmine Barnes’ Epoch of Hughes, a groundbreaking new work created specifically for the Seattle Choral Company. This piece is inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes, one of America’s most celebrated Black poets, and uses Hughes’ reflections on the four seasons as its foundation.

Our premiere represents an exciting addition to the contemporary choral repertoire, and audiences will have the rare opportunity to hear Barnes’ work brought to life for the first time. Jasmine Barnes herself will be in attendance for this historic performance, making the evening even…