MasterVoices and the Orchestra of Saint Luke's will perform a program titled Sins and Grace next month, featuring the world premiere of a new song cycle titled SEVEN: A Cycle of Sins. Conceived as a companion piece to Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, which will also be performed, the song cycle features seven movements based on the seven deadly sins, each written by a different composer and lyricist.

The artists assembled, and the sin for which they provided music or lyrics, include Michael Abels (lust); Will Aronson and Dolan Morgan (gluttony); William C Banfield and Michael R. Jackson (sloth); Jason Robert Brown (envy); Heather Christian (wrath); Ted Hearne (greed); and Gregory Spears (vanity). The prestigious team have a collective seven Tony awards, two Pulitzer prizes, and a MacArthur "Genius" fellowship between them.

Tony-winning MasterVoices Artistic Director Ted Sperling will conduct the concert, which features soprano Mikaela Bennett and baritone Justin Austin as the soloists. SEVEN is composed for the same performing forces as Fauré's Requiem, including soprano, baritone, chorus, orchestra, and organ.

Said Sperling: “The concept started with a desire to program the beloved Fauré’s Requiem, and to pair it with something noteworthy and contrasting in tone. The Fauré is known for its gentle approach to dying and the heavenly afterlife; in contrast, I thought it would be fun to explore the temptations that torment us as we’re living our daily lives. I landed on the idea of commissioning a new song cycle built around the seven deadly sins, inviting composers from a wide array of genres to add even more texture. After our premiere, SEVEN: A Cycle of Sins will receive regional premieres by our partners, Los Angeles Master Chorale and VocalEssence.”

The program will be given two performances, March 23 and 24, at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. For more information, including ticketing, visit MasterVoices.org.