The Larimer Chorale joins the Symphony in the season finale, A Center of Attention, for a presentation of Sergey Prokofiev's cantata from the early 20th-century film Alexander Nevsky. The piece also features mezzo-soprano Shannon Magee, who performed with Opera Fort Collins last season as Princess Amneris in Verdi’s Aida. The evening includes Aaron Copland's beloved Billy the Kid, and John Adams' The Chairman Dances.

"Chairman Dances is lifted directly from Adams’ opera Nixon in China," Kenney said, referring to the opera written about President Richard Nixon's peacemaking trip to China in 1972. Nixon--accompanied by loyal wife Pat and Henry Kissinger--meets China’s Zhou Enlai and Chairman Mao.

"Aaron Copland’s Billy the Kid was a ballet score first, and this is a suite drawn from it. The Gun Battle is particularly vivid.” Kenney explained. The story follows the life of the infamous outlaw and begins with the sweeping song "The Open Prairie" and describes pioneers trekking westward. The action shifts to a small frontier town where Billy's mother is killed by an outlaw, and Billy kills the murderer, then goes on the run.

"The Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky is an emotionally gripping choral/orchestral Masterwork that has great, singable, Russian folk melodies at its core," said Michael Todd Krueger, Music Director for The Larimer Chorale. "There aren't many Russian nationalist compositions in the orchestral repertoire that require a chorus, so the opportunity to perform Nevsky could not be passed up."

The challenge of singing the Alexander Nevsky Cantata is the constant dark and full sound required of the chorus. Kenney points out there are no high notes to punch out of the texture. "Take that--coupled with the difficulty of singing all the Russian consonants--and you have a tough assignment as a choir," Kenney explained. "We’re thrilled that the Larimer Chorale under Michael Krueger’s direction has taken up this challenge, taken the time to prepare it, and taken the time to share their talents as the top-notch vocal ensemble they are."

Krueger said "Wes Kenney has brought the Fort Collins Symphony to new heights this season and we look forward, as always, to a fantastic collaborative experience."