New Hampshire Master Chorale’s final concert at the Colonial June 19

LACONIA — Joseph Haydn’s grand "Mass in Time of War," with chorus and full orchestra, is the centerpiece of New Hampshire Master Chorale’s final concert of its 19th season, on Sunday, June 19 at 4:00 p.m. in the restored Colonial Theater in Laconia.

The program also includes two contemporary pieces by the young Black composer Joel Thompson. Seven Last Words of the Unarmed commemorates the killing, by police or vigilante, of seven unarmed Black men. America Will Be! celebrates the nation’s diversity and looks toward a day when America’s promise of freedom and equality will be realized.

Tickets are available at coloniallaconia.com and nhmastchorale.org. 

Master Chorale Director Dan Perkins chose this program a year ago, before the war in Ukraine and recent mass killings of unarmed Americans. “As we got closer to spring 2022, current events seemed to match up with what we’re singing about,” Perkins says.

The Master Chorale, a select group of 30 singers, is known for bringing audiences thought-provoking, socially conscious programs and a high level of music-making.

The coming concert falls on Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. The performance of the Joel Thompson works reflects the Master Chorale’s pledge, in 2020, to perform works “that promote an anti-racist agenda.”