Vigil for Love
Saturday, October 18th, 4pm
The Church of the Holy Trinity
1904 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia opens its season with an afternoon that explores love's deepest mysteries and most profound transformations. Experience the US premiere of Vigil for Love, a luminous new 40-minute work by Artistic Director Dominick DiOrio, featuring poetry by singer Kyle Conner and created as a heartfelt tribute to former board chair Charlotte Sibley. This moving composition takes audiences on an intimate journey through love's many dimensions—from its power to ennoble and illuminate to its capacity to confound and mystify. As DiOrio notes, the work seeks "a more profound understanding of love's unique mysteries and many layers," offering both tender reflection and soaring revelation.
Paired with a lightly-staged performance of Henry Purcell's timeless chamber opera Dido and Aeneas, the evening presents two complementary portraits of love's complexity. Purcell's baroque masterpiece distills Virgil's epic tale into an intimate psychological drama that traces Queen Dido's emotional journey from passionate devotion to heartbreaking sacrifice. This 1689 opera showcases Purcell's genius for capturing complex human emotions through sophisticated musical storytelling, culminating in the devastating beauty of Dido's Lament.
While Purcell's masterpiece chronicles love's tragic trajectory, DiOrio's contemporary work celebrates love's transformative power and enduring grace. Together, these pieces create a rich tapestry that honors both love's shadows and its light, its capacity for both profound joy and noble sorrow. This concert stands as a testament to love's central place in the human experience, inviting audiences to witness how music can capture what words alone cannot express—the full spectrum of our most essential emotion.
This performance is funded in part by the Roberta Rote & Martin Levitas Professional Musicians Fund.
Photo credit: Jennifer Sheffield
Meet Kyle Conner:
The Voice behind Vigil for Love
On October 18th, we will present the US Premiere of Dominick DiOrio's Vigil for Love, a luminous 40-minute choral work set to poetry by our own Kyle Conner. Kyle is a multifaceted artist who brings remarkable depth to our chorus—not only as a singer with Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia, but as an accomplished poet and librettist. He holds a Master's in Creative Writing – Poetry from Temple University and has published four chapbooks of poetry. His second libretto, The Anonymous Child, with music by composer Michael Robert Smith, received its world premiere in December 2024. Beyond his artistic pursuits, Kyle works in regulatory oversight at Thomas Jefferson University, where he serves as co-editor-in-chief of Evanescent: A Journal of Literary Medicine, an annual publication exploring the intersection of creative writing and healthcare.
We sat down with Kyle to ask him about what drew him to Mendelssohn Chorus, his favorite performance memories, and what makes our choral community so special.
What drew you to join our organization, and what keeps you passionate about performing with us?
It was a combination of knowing someone who was a singer in the chorus, Dave Simpson, and attending performances. He and I had met in a poetry workshop and struck up a friendship. I came to see a performance of a Robert Moran commission and liked the fact that it was something new and different...
Do you have a favorite piece or performance memory from your time with us that you'd like to share?
That would be Turbine. This was former Artistic Director Alan Harler's swansong, and it was a beautiful ending for him. Coming from an experimental theater background, I understood the process of working with choreographer Leah Stein and her company to generate choreographed gesture.....
What would you want potential new singers or audience members to know about our community?
We are a friendly and generous bunch, and all are welcomed. Dominick has done an incredible job of fostering this community by setting a tone of respect and sensitivity, as well as artistry and excellence. I actually think that by calling out the illusion of......
Tickets & Subscriptions
For 15% off your ticket price, purchase a 4-concert subscription now thorugh October 18th. Single tickets will go on sale September 1st!