The program will open with Johannes Brahms' "Schicksalslied" (Song of Destiny), written in 1871 and based on Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin's poem "Hyperions Schicksalslied." Second will be Brahms' "Alto Rhapsody" and the final number will be Felix Mendelssohn's symphony-cantata "Lobgesang" (Hymn of Praise).  

All three works are scored for a large orchestra, allowing for sweeping drama in both color and dynamics.

"There is a connect-the dots aspect to the programming," says Holmquist.  "The two Brahms works, though relatively short, contain all the rich expressiveness of his German Requiem: Beautiful melodies, complex harmonies and a deep connection between text and music. In `Schicksalslied,' the pain and sufferings of mankind `plunging into the abyss' are marvelously presented."

Tickets are $15 General Admission and $12 for students and seniors 60 and over. They are available from Festival Chorale members, the Elsinore Theatre ticket office, all Safeway Tickets West outlets and by phone at 1 (800) 992-3844.