You can take the composer out of opera, but you can't take the opera out of the composer! After Rossini retired from writing comic operas, he was eventually drawn to composing for sacred texts. His Stabat Mater, a setting of a text in tribute to Mary, is full of the bel canto vocalism of his operas. The program pairs this work with Brahms' Song of Destiny, a profound comment on the human condition. With guest soloists Sandra Lopez, soprano, Sarah Heltzel, mezzo, Jeremy Brauner, tenor, and Eric Lindsey, bass.

The Handel Society of Dartmouth College is the oldest student, faculty, staff and community organization in the United States devoted to the performance of choral-orchestral major works. Founded in 1807, the Society sought to advance the works of Baroque masters through performance. Members of the Society believed the grand choruses of George Frideric Handel exemplified their goals and thus adopted his name for their group. Since its inception, the Handel Society has grown considerably in size and in its scope of programming. Today comprising 60 members drawn from the Dartmouth student body, faculty and staff, and the Upper Valley community, the Society gives two performances a year of major works, both old and new, for chorus and instrumental forces.

In addition to giving annual concerts in Spaulding Auditorium, the Society performs regularly at outreach events in the Upper Valley, reaching audiences in schools, community organizations and assisted living centers. The Society tours regularly at home and abroad, performing in major venues and cathedrals throughout Europe.

Filippo Ciabatti, interim director