2021-2022 TENTH ANNIVERSARY SEASON the Outer Edge of Yout!

MATTHEW ROBERTSON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

2021-2022 TENTH ANNIVERSARY SEASON the outer edge of yout!

IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAMED SUBSCRIPTIONS @ THETHIRTEENCHOIR.ORG 2021-2022 SEASON the outer edge of yout! As The Thirteen approaches our 10th anniversary season I’ve been thinking about the passage of time, how it changes each of us, and what that means to me and The Thirteen. First and foremost, this year is one of celebration: not only is The Thirteen thriving as we approach our 10th anniversary, this milestone coincides with some measure of relief from the health and human ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. While I look forward to marking these triumphs, for me this year serves as a rededication to the sentiments of youth: childlike sincerity, wide-eyed wonder, and open-hearted care. These sentiments seem more meaningful when they are conscious choices rather than simply a reﬂection of innocence.

Our season embodies this spirit. We will end our season with the world premiere performances of Scott Ordway’s The Outer Edge of Youth, a visionary new choral opera that looks at the innocence of childhood and the beauty of the natural world (and from which I borrowed the title for our season). Another highlight of this year will be a fully staged theatrical performance of Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. Staged by my friend and collaborator Timothy Nelson, hailed as “The Future of Opera” by The New York Times, and joined by the University of Maryland’s Chamber Singers, this performance seeks to embrace joy, connection, and our shared humanity. In each of our concerts this year – from Monteverdi to Vaughan Williams to the Christmas story - I am above all searching for connection: to touch and excite each and every one of you.

I hope that you will continue to believe in the art that The Thirteen creates by subscribing to our 2021-2022 season today. We plan to welcome our audience in person and I encourage you to subscribe rather than rely on individual tickets: we are limiting the number of season subscriptions we o!er in order to comply with potentially-restrictive social distancing requirements. We will not o!er individual tickets until we are sure that each season subscriber will have a seat. We expect to o!er concerts near you in downtown Washington, D.C., Bethesda, MD, and Alexandria, VA. At the same time, we will continue to o!er each of our programs virtually via livestream and on demand.

It is with surpassing excitement and determination that I end this note with the words: I look forward to seeing you and your friends soon.

With warmest wishes,

The Thirteen’s 2021-2022 season is made possible due to the Matthew Robertson generosity of our Season Sponsors, Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar, Artistic Director J. Penny Clark, and Walter Hill & Cheryl Naulty. THE THIRTEEN PLANS TO PROVIDE SAFE IN-PERSON CONCERTS SUBSCRIBE NOW The Thirteen is planning to welcome in-person audiences to our 2021-2022 season We invite you to join The Thirteen for our entire concerts while continuing to livestream our programs. Your health, and the health of season of world-class artistry and life-a"rming our musicians and sta!, is our top priority. Accordingly, we wish to share with you some performances. Season subscribers enjoy the of what The Thirteen is doing to ensure the safety of our performers and our in-person following beneﬁts: audience members. The plan outlined below is based on our understanding of current CDC guidelines, local regulations, and projections for the 2021-2022 season. If best • In-person attendance at our concerts. The practices or the local situation changes, our policies may also change. Thirteen is limiting the number of season tickets we are o!ering to ensure that our The Thirteen plans to: season subscribers can attend our concerts in • Require that all participating performers and sta! be fully vaccinated for Covid-19; person. We will not sell individual tickets until • Livestream all concerts, ensuring that our audience will be able to enjoy our we are sure we can accommodate additional performances if they are not comfortable attending a concert in person. The audience. livestreamed performance will also be available On Demand after the concert to • savings of 33% over individual ticket sales all ticket holders, a beneﬁt allowing even those attending the concert in person to • date-transferrable tickets to choose the enjoy the performance again. concerts that work best for your schedule • Cap season ticket sales to ensure that every season ticket holder who chooses to (depending on availability) – just send an email attend a concert in person may do so, consistent with whatever social distancing to [email protected] if you need to guidelines may be. Presently, we do not plan to exceed 50% capacity of any of our change your ticket. venues, though this may change later in the fall if local governmental guidelines • access to our performances virtually, live and change. We will delay o!ering individual tickets to any concert until we are certain on demand we can safely accommodate audience members in addition to our season subscribers. • Perform in large venues. The Thirteen’s venues are large churches with high ceilings and ample ventilation.

The Thirteen expects that all in-person audience members will be fully vaccinated and that they will stay home if they feel ill (a reminder: our concerts will continue to be livestreamed). At this time, we expect that mask-wearing will be required throughout the concert. If appropriate, further guidance for in-person audience members will be provided well in advance of each concert in accordance with local governmental guidelines. _ II_ MONTEVERDImonteverdi: – SELVAthe MORALElo"t vespers E SPIRITUALE

Following our 2019 and 2021 performances of Monteverdi’s The Lost Vespers and The Lost Mass, The Thirteen concludes our exploration of Monteverdi’s end-of-life magnum opus, Selva morale e spirituale - the moral and spiritual wood. Hidden within plain sight within this monumental volume is a second “Vespers of 1641” that The Thirteen has assembled. The musical gems in Selva morale e spirituale are virtually unknown, and yet they rival his earlier compositions in virtuosity, invention, and beauty.

Join The Thirteen’s peerless singers and period instrumentalists for Monteverdi: The Lost Vespers II in a concert replete with artistry, elegance, and exploration.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Margaret Love. “The Thirteen is clearly a tight-knit ensemble of accomplished soloists with a vocal signature of becoming tonal beauty.” –Choir & Organ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 | 7:30PM Episcopal High School Chapel | 1200 North Quaker Lane | Alexandria, VA 22302 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2021 | 7:30PM Holy Trinity Catholic Church | 3513 N St., NW | Washington, DC 20007 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2021 | 5:00PM Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church | 6601 Bradley Boulevard | Bethesda, MD 20817

Individual tickets: In-person and virtual: $45/20 for general admission and students respectively; $10 o! if purchased in advance. Non-resident virtual: $25 per ticket. aWITH cathedral MARVIN MILLS, chri "ORGANtmas “…elegant musical performance, which Robertson molded with incisive tempos and dramatic pacing.”

–Washington Classical Review

Celebrate the holiday festivities with The Thirteen as we sing carols for the holiday season from the English Cathedral tradition. The Thirteen performs the great and unbroken tradition of English-language carols and anthems, many of them featuring the majestic organs of our beautiful venues. FFrom 16th century roots through to a new work written for The Thirteen by Indian composer Juhi Bansal, A Cathedral Christmas celebrates the joyful sounds of Christmas choral music full of warmth and joy with the matchless voices of The Thirteen and the King of Instruments!

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Walter Hill & Cheryl Naulty.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2021 | 7:30PM Episcopal High School Chapel | 1200 North Quaker Lane | Alexandria, VA 22302 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2021 | 7:30PM St. Paul’s K Street | 2430 K Street NW | Washington, DC 20037 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2021 | 5:00PM Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church | 6601 Bradley Boulevard | Bethesda, MD 20817 *This concert is presented by Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church. Tickets through The Thirteen are only available to season subscribers. Individual tickets: In-person and virtual: $45/20 for general admission and students respectively; $10 o! if purchased in advance. Non-resident virtual: $25 per ticket. #ing wi$ow RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS BENJAMIN BRITTEN “…the singers’ voices are distinctive, CAROLINE SHAW blending in a sound that’s more colorful TREVOR WESTON than the average early-music group…”

–The Washington Post

Throughout musical history, composers have long turned to the natural world for inspiration and solace. Chief among equals is English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who was born in 1872 and whose 150th birthday we celebrate in this program. The Thirteen will pair Vaughan Williams’ music with works that explore the concept of the natural world and humankind’s place in it by African American composers, composers of color, women composers and more. This concert promises to be an evening of beauty and awe.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Clint & Missy Kelly.

Individual tickets: In-person and virtual: $45/20 for general admission and students respectively; $10 o! if purchased in advance. Non-resident virtual: $25 per ticket. comf%rt & emb&ace | b&ahms’ human 'equiem JOHANNES BRAHMS – EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM

University of Maryland, College Park Chamber Singers | Edward Maclary, director Derrick Go! and Rachelle Jonck, piano Timothy Nelson, stage director Corinne Hayes, associate stage director

Often known as a Requiem for the living, Brahms’ masterpiece has touched concertgoers for over 150 years. In Comfort and Embrace, The Thirteen remakes this beloved work in a fully staged theatrical production that is designed to move each and every member of our audience. This production will feature the audience interspersed among the performers, creating a new relationship between our audience, our musicians, and this touching work. The Thirteen will perform this work with its original and intimate orchestration – piano four hands – with the exceptional pianists Derrick Go! and Rachelle Jonck.

About his Ein Deutsches Requiem Brahms wrote: “as regards the text, I must confess that I would gladly leave o! the ‘German’ and replace it simply with ‘human.’” Join The Thirteen for this concert which explores human connection.

This program is made possible by an anonymous donor.

Individual tickets: In-person and virtual: $45/20 for general admission and students respectively; $10 o! if purchased in advance. Non-resident virtual: $25 per ticket. the outer edge of youth SCOTT ORDWAY – THE OUTER EDGE OF YOUTH

Molly Netter, soprano Emily Marvosh, mezzo soprano

The Outer Edge of Youth is a major, semi-staged, new choral opera from acclaimed composer-writer-director Scott Ordway commissioned by The Thirteen. Called “exquisite” and “a marvel” by critics, even “an American response to Sibelius” (The Boston Globe), the composer has conceived a look at how boys and young men interact with one another and toward the natural world. Finding inspiration in the natural world and in the story of St. Francis talking to the birds, Ordway’s concept bends the boundaries between opera and choral music to riveting e!ect. His dreamlike work, featuring projected images of the natural world, two soloists, two choirs, and four string instruments promises a celebration of friendship, youth, landscape, and memory, and of connections with people we love, places we feel at home, and the living earth surrounding us all.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Clinton & Missy Kelly.

Individual tickets: In-person and virtual: $45/20 for general admission and students respectively; $10 o! if purchased in advance. Non-resident virtual: $25 per ticket. TICKET ORDER FORM Like all of America’s beloved performing arts organizations, ticket sales cover only a small portion of our operating costs. We rely on your generous donations to help us with the remainder of our operating budget. Please consider giving as you are able when you purchase your season tickets. Your gifts have never been more vital in sustaining The Thirteen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reserve the best seats in the house by contributing $500 or more to The Thirteen (in excess of purchases) to receive Preferred Seating. The Thirteen is a 501(c)(3) organization: donations in excess of ticket subscriptions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL General Season Subscription* x $150 = $ Non-Resident Virtual Subscription Series** x $100= $ Student Subscription* (with valid ID) x $50 = $ *door prices for the entire season are $200, and $100, for General Admission and Students, respectively ** one concert date from each program will be available for livestream viewing

STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR CONCERTS FRIDAY SUBSCRIPTION Monteverdi: The Lost Vespers II Friday, October, 22, 2021 7:30pm SERIES: ALEXANDRIA VA A Cathedral Christmas Friday, December 17, 2021 7:30pm Sing Willow Friday, February 11, 2022 7:30pm Comfort and Embrace Saturday, April 2, 2022 7:30pm (in Downtown Washington, DC) The Outer Edge of Youth Friday, May 13, 2022 7:30pm

SATURDAY SUBSCRIPTION Monteverdi: The Lost Vespers II Saturday, October 23, 2021 7:30pm A Cathedral Christmas Saturday, December 18, 2021 7:30pm SERIES: DOWNTOWN DC Sing Willow Saturday, February 12, 2022 7:30pm Comfort and Embrace Saturday, April 2, 2022 7:30pm The Outer Edge of Youth Saturday, May 14, 2022 7:30pm

SUNDAY SUBSCRIPTION Monteverdi: The Lost Vespers II Sunday, October 24, 2021 5:00pm A Cathedral Christmas Sunday, December 19, 2021 5:00pm SERIES: BETHESDA, MD Sing Willow Sunday, February 13, 2022 5:00pm Comfort and Embrace Sunday, April 3, 2022 7:30pm (in Downtown Washington, DC) The Outer Edge of Youth Sunday, May 15, 2022 5:00pm

ticket form continued on reverse STEP 3: ADD A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION:

STEP 4: CALCULATE YOUR GRAND TOTAL:

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STEP 6: PLEASE CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 OR WILL BE BEFORE THESE CONCERTS (IN PERSON AUDIENCE ONLY).

Please note on this order form what additional tickets you would like and enclose payment, or email [email protected] Please detach this page and mail your complete order with check or payment information to: The Thirteen · P.O. Box 32065 · Washington, D.C. 20007 or purchase your season tickets online at www.TheThirteenChoir.org

Tickets will arrive via email. Questions? Email us at [email protected] SUPPORT US

The Thirteen is grateful for your generosity, and never more so than in navigating these unprecedented times. Like most arts organizations, The Thirteen depends for its continued existence upon the generosity of those who have come to know and love the music we make.

While we have managed to survive and even thrive during the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, we ask you to please consider giving now to support our upcoming season. We invite you to explore the suggested giving levels below and hope you will donate as generously as possible by check, credit card, or at www.TheThirteenChoir.org.

No matter how much you give, it is most important to us that as much of our audience as possible is part of our musical family. Join us in making music.

Season Sponsor - $20,000+ Name recognition as a Season Sponsor on website and in all concert materials, four preferred seating subscriptions, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Concert Sponsor - $10,000 Recognition as Concert Sponsor on website and in all concert materials for one concert program, two preferred seating subscriptions plus four additional preferred seating tickets for sponsored concert, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Angel - $5,000 Two preferred seating season subscriptions, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Maestro's Circle - $2,500 An exclusive dinner with The Thirteen's Founder and Artistic Director, Matthew Robertson, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Benefactor - $1,000 Exclusive donor-only season highlights recording, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Patron - $500 Preferred seating status at all of our concerts, two complimentary tickets to one concert of your choice, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Sponsor - $250 Invitation to closed rehearsals, a specially branded Bumper Magnet, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Donor - $100 A copy of the latest CD released by The Thirteen, and all beneﬁts listed below.

Friend - $50 Acknowledgment in concert programs and on our website for one year. P.O. Box 32065 • Washington, DC 20007

“…passion transfigures the listener; a faithful and acoustically lively account, skillfully performed…”

–The Washington Post

2021-2022 SEASON

October 22-24 MONTEVERDI: THE LOST VESPERS II

December 17-19 A CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS

February 11-13 SING WILLOW

April 2-3 COMFORT & EMBRACE; BRAHMS REQUIEM

May 13-15 THE OUTER EDGE OF YOUTH