UK Alum Takes Easter Oratorio on the Road
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2015) — When University of Kentucky alumnus Lorne Dechtenberg wrote his Easter oratorio, "King of Glory," in 2014, he hoped those who experienced the work in Lexington would enjoy it. As it turned out, not only did they enjoy it, but so did residents of other communities who began requesting performances as well. As a result, Dechtenberg and the Bluegrass Opera will present six performances of the work this Easter season in five different Kentucky towns.
The work tells the story of the crucifixion and resurrection through a musical journey that is designed to reach audiences on a visceral level, enabling them to experience the text in a new and vivid way. "It's like Handel's "Messiah" only it's meant for today's listeners instead of 18th-century ears," said Dechtenberg, who has been receiving praise for the work since its premiere last April.
The work features professional singers, auditioned from across a 200-mile swath of Kentucky (from Hodgenville to Hazard), with tight, colorful harmonies and warm, rich melodies that they hope will stay with listeners long after the performance ends.
Dechtenberg, who holds degrees from UK School of Music in composition and conducting, co-founded the Bluegrass Opera in 2008. In 2010, he and his "Honeymoon Symphony" were chronicled in the KET documentary "Composer at Work," an effort that brought together members of the Lexington Philharmonic, UK Symphony Orchestra, and the Lexington Community Orchestra for a premiere at UK's Singletary Center for the Arts.
In addition to Dechtenberg, "King of Glory" will feature several performers with ties to UK, including alumni Gordon Earl Thomas, Kaymon Murrah and Dena Sullivan Smith, as well as staff member Mike Bratcher, of UK HealthCare Information Technology.
"King of Glory" will be presented:
· 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Actors’ Playhouse of Georgetown;
· 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Immanuel Baptist Church, in Lexington;
· 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Union Church, in Berea;
· 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 30, at First Christian Church, in Frankfort;
· 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, at First Baptist Church, in Richmond; and
· 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 3, at Lexington Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Tickets for "King of Glory" are $20 for adults, $10 for students with a valid ID, and kids 12 and under get in free. Tickets can be ordered online at www.bluegrassopera.org or by phone at 859-940-9379.
The Bluegrass Opera is a nonprofit performing arts company that specializes in the performance of new and underperformed musical works for the stage – operas, musicals, and everything in between.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu