The U Singers, A Cappella Choir and Alumni Singers will join the Utah Philharmonia tonight in a concert featuring the work of William Walton, who is considered the most important English composer of his generation. Walton was the mind behind the reputable 1930 composition of “Belshazzar’s Feast.”
Rachel Webster, a spokesperson for the U Singers, said attendants should expect a performance full of exciting music.
“We have rehearsed every afternoon for approximately an hour, with extra two-hour rehearsals in the evenings,” she said.
The concert, which takes place at Libby Gardner Concert Hall, will donate its proceeds to scholarships. The concert is tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The story of “Belshazzar’s Feast” was taken from the book of Daniel in the Bible.
“The story tells of the Jews as they are in exile in Babylon,” Webster said. “After a feast at which Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, commits sacrilege by using the Jews’ sacred vessels to praise the heathen gods, he is miraculously killed, the kingdom falls and the Jews regain their freedom.”
Brady Allred will conduct, after about 200 personal hours in preparation.
“(The piece) is hard for a conductor to tackle,” Webster said. “It’s vocally challenging and orchestrally complex.”
Other compositions that will be performed were written by Walton and include “Antiphon” and “Jubilate Deo,” with Linda Margetts as organist. The Utah Philharmonia will perform “Crown Imperial,” a coronation march.
Tickets are $8 for general admission and $3 for students. So far, 221 tickets have been purchased for tonight and 189 for Saturday. There are 700 tickets available for each night.
“Students should come,” Webster said. “It’s a cheap date, a classic piece that’s rarely done and it is only 45 minutes to an hour.”
The public can purchase tickets at www.kingtix.com or by calling (801)-581-7100.