News Article

The Gonzaga University Chorale, conducted by Edward Schaefer, will present Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Theresienmesse” at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12, in Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. The concert is free and open to the public, but a free-willing offering will be taken.

“Theresienmesse,” a work scored for chorus, orchestra and a quartet of soloists, will feature Lucy Yandle, Julia Scherzinger, Alex Persing and Robbie Cowan. The work is one of six great Masses that Haydn composed near the end of his life, all composed in honor of the Princess Maria Hermenegild, the wife of Haydn’s patron Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy. While it is not performed as often as Haydn’s “ Nelson Mass” or “ Mass in Time of War,” it is every bit their equal, proving Haydn to be a composer at the height of his creative powers. 

“Its 11 short movements explore the complete range of emotion, beauty and spiritual depth of the texts of the Catholic Mass,” Schaefer explains.

The Gonzaga University Chorale first began singing in 1989. The ensemble is comprised of students in the men's and women’s ensembles, who also rehearse separately, as well as faculty, staff, and friends of Gonzaga University. The group performs three concerts of literature for chorus and orchestra each year.

Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral is located at 1115 W. Riverside Ave.

For more information, contact Schaefer, professor of music and acting dean of the music department, at (509) 323-6737.