Photo courtesy of Texas Master ChoraleMusic
Texas Master Chorale opens 2026-2027 Concert Season with ‘Ye Shall Have A Song’ on October 24
Texas Master Chorale will open their 2026-2027 concert season on Saturday, October 24, with “Ye Shall Have a Song.” The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at a new location: The Centrum at Cypress Creek Christian Community Center, located at 6823 Cypresswood Drive in Spring, TX.
“Ye Shall Have a Song” features Robert Ray’s “Gospel Mass” and a portion of “The Peaceable Kingdom” by Randall Thompson.
Robert Ray was a pianist, composer, and educator. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Northwestern University, and later served as an accompanist, coach, and professor at the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Shortly after he began teaching at the University of Illinois, Ray was asked to compose a Catholic mass by Clarence Rivers, the first Black priest in the archdiocese of Cincinnati and a well-known liturgist. Ray was encouraged to use Black music idioms, including jazz and spirituals, in the piece which premiered in 1979 with a chorus of his students. In the years since, “Gospel Mass” has become an important part of choral literature, performed throughout the world.
“The Peaceable Kingdom” is a major a cappella work composed by Randall Thompson in 1936. He attended Harvard University and received a doctorate in music from the Eastman School of Music, later teaching at several universities including Harvard.
“The Peaceable Kingdom” was inspired by a painting of the same name, based on Isaiah 11:6-9. Thompson selected eight passages from Isaiah for his work, referencing themes of peace, and of good versus evil. “The Peaceable Kingdom” expresses a variety of moods as it alternates between dissonant passages and luscious, lyrical sections, reflecting good and evil, peace and war, death and life.
Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at TexasMasterChorale.org, or at the door. Students are free with school I.D. Complimentary valet parking is also available at each concert.
2026-2027 Season | Spirit and Song
Texas Master Chorale’s 2026-2027 concert season centers around a theme of “Spirit and Song.” Additional concerts include “A Season of Wonder” Christmas concert on Saturday, December 19, and “Triumph and Peace” on Saturday, April 3.
All concerts will take place at The Centrum, and tickets are on sale now. For details and to purchase tickets, visit TexasMasterChorale.org.
Founded in 1986, Texas Master Chorale is a mixed choral ensemble of 100 auditioned singers who perform a variety of choral masterworks including classical, contemporary, sacred and secular.
Texas Master Chorale is generously sponsored by Texas Commission on the Arts. To learn more, visit TexasMasterChorale.org.
Source: Texas Master Chorale
