{"id":52,"date":"2026-10-13T21:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T21:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/khew.org\/news\/great-falls-symphony-lux-aeterna-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T21:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T21:55:08","slug":"great-falls-symphony-lux-aeterna-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/khew.org\/news\/great-falls-symphony-lux-aeterna-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Falls Symphony Brings Lux Aeterna to the Mansfield"},"content":{"rendered":"

KHEW News Staff | As of Oct. 13, 2026<\/p>\n

The Great Falls Symphony’s November 2026 concert is Lux Aeterna, set for Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Mansfield Theater in Great Falls.<\/strong> The orchestra and the Great Falls Symphonic Choir will trade the stage, then come together for the title piece, Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, according to the symphony’s concert page.<\/p>\n

It follows the opener of the symphony’s 68th season on Oct. 10, which was the debut concert of new Music Director Robert Kahn.<\/p>\n

Great Falls Symphony November 2026 program<\/h2>\n

The concert opens with the choir alone, moves to two of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and closes with orchestra and choir together on Lux Aeterna.<\/strong> The symphony lists the running time as 1 hour and 15 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.<\/p>\n

Here’s the program as the symphony’s page lays it out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Piece<\/th>\nWho performs<\/th>\nListed length<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Frank Ticheli, “Earth Song”<\/td>\nSymphonic Choir, a cappella<\/td>\n4 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eriks Esenvalds, “O Salutaris Hostia”<\/td>\nSymphonic Choir, a cappella<\/td>\n4 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vivaldi, “Winter” and “Spring” from The Four Seasons<\/td>\nOrchestra, with concertmaster Mary Papoulis on violin<\/td>\n19 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Morten Lauridsen, Lux Aeterna<\/td>\nOrchestra and Symphonic Choir<\/td>\n27 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The two choir pieces are led by Jay Henry Gregg, the symphony’s new choirmaster. Kahn conducts the rest.<\/p>\n

What is Lux Aeterna?<\/h2>\n

Lux Aeterna is a choral work Morten Lauridsen wrote in 1997 for choir and chamber orchestra.<\/strong> The symphony’s program notes describe five movements built on sacred Latin texts, each one centered on light. The notes call it “one of the most beloved choral works of the modern era.”<\/p>\n

The movements are Introitus, In Te, Domine, Speravi and O Nata Lux.<\/p>\n

There’s a small connection between the first and last pieces. Ticheli and Lauridsen both taught composition at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, according to the program notes.<\/p>\n

The Vivaldi is the easiest way in for anyone new to the symphony. “Winter” opens with shivers and icy wind and later slips and slides across the ice. “Spring” starts with what the notes call one of Vivaldi’s most recognizable melodies, then works through birdsong, a thunderstorm and a country dance. Those scenes come straight from the sonnets Vivaldi paired with each concerto, the notes explain.<\/p>\n

Time and tickets<\/h2>\n

The concert starts at 3 p.m., with a free pre-concert talk at 2 p.m., according to the symphony’s concert page.<\/p>\n

Single tickets for the season went on sale Sept. 1, according to the symphony’s season announcement. Tickets are sold through the Great Falls Symphony website.<\/p>\n

The Mansfield Theater is at 2 Park Drive South in Great Falls. The symphony’s page has a short list of house rules that may surprise first-timers: clap when you feel like it, phones on silent are fine and you can take a concession drink to your seat.<\/p>\n

Is it worth the drive from the Hi-Line?<\/h2>\n

Great Falls is about 115 miles from Havre, about a two-hour drive each way. In mid-November that drive can mean snow. KHEW News covered the record October snow in Great Falls<\/a> and where to check Hi-Line road conditions, and the same tips apply here.<\/p>\n

For school music teachers and church choir members on the Hi-Line, this is a chance to hear a big piece of choral repertoire done live by a regional choir. For everyone else, two seasons of Vivaldi is about as friendly an introduction to an orchestra as there is.<\/p>\n

If you can’t make Nov. 15, the symphony’s next show is The Nutcracker with the Montana Ballet Company on Tuesday, Nov. 24, also at the Mansfield.<\/p>\n

Quick answers<\/h2>\n

When is Lux Aeterna?<\/strong> Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, at 3 p.m. at the Mansfield Theater in Great Falls.<\/p>\n

Who’s performing?<\/strong> The Great Falls Symphony and the Great Falls Symphonic Choir, with Music Director Robert Kahn and Choirmaster Jay Henry Gregg.<\/p>\n

How long is it?<\/strong> About 1 hour and 15 minutes with a 20-minute intermission, according to the symphony.<\/p>\n

Is there a talk beforehand?<\/strong> Yes. A free pre-concert talk starts at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/h2>\n