Spoleto Festival USA announces enchanting candlelit choral performance 

May 31; Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul; 9:00pm; tickets available now 

Spoleto Festival USA, America’s premier performing arts festival, announced the addition of a third choral concert to the previously announced lineup—a captivating candlelit performance of Arvo Pärt’s choral masterpiece The Deer’s Cry with other works performed by the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus. The Deer’s Cry will be performed on May 31 at 8:00pm in the historic Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul. The Chorus, led by Director of Choral Activities Joe Miller (pictured below), and accompanied by organist Julia Harlow. Tickets are available for purchase at spoletousa.org or by calling 843.579.3100.

Photo credit to William Struhs

This intimate performance will be an extraordinary opportunity to experience Pärt’s hauntingly beautiful work by world-class performers in the glorious acoustics and atmosphere of a 200+ year old church. The choir will enter the dimly lit sanctuary carrying candles and will sing from the nave center to symbolize that God is within everyone.

“This will be an especially moving performance of this beloved choral piece that allows audiences to connect with the work on a deeper level,” says Mena Mark Hanna, Spoleto Festival USA General Director and CEO. “The program pairs Pärt’s evocative piece with Josquin des Prez’s Missa Pange Lingua and movements of Heinrich Schütz’s iconic St. Matthew Passion to form a rich tapestry of choral expression.”

The Spoleto Festival USA Chorus was established in 2021 to recruit exceptional vocal fellows to perform in multiple capacities throughout the Festival including major choral works, as the chorus in Spoleto’s mainstage operas with select singers covering both large and small roles, in addition to special projects and smaller ensemble works.

For more information about the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus and to purchase tickets for their 2024 Spoleto performances, visit spoletousa.org.