Robert A. Harris, conductor; Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, University Chorus, Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, Chicago Children’s Choir, and alumni soloists

Commissioned by the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus for its centenary and premiered in England last September 11, Richard Blackford’s oratorio Not in Our Time takes its title from the Hilda Doolittle poem “Not in our time, O Lord, the ploughshare for the sword.” The work commemorates the tragic events of September 11, 2001, with a libretto including speeches and poems on holy war and divinely sanctioned violence a thousand years apart, from the First Crusade to September 11. Opening and closing with words by the two most recent American presidents, this powerful work ultimately shares a message of hope for peace between cultures and faiths. The concert also features selections from Gloria, a work for soprano solo, chorus, and orchestra by retiring faculty member Robert A. Harris, who will be conducting his final Northwestern concert.