Rutter’s Mass of the Children weaves the traditional Latin Mass with English poetry and prayers, creating a work that moves between intimate reflection and sweeping choral sound. The result is music that feels both timeless and deeply human: a conversation between generations, between innocence and experience, and between the individual and the larger community.

For this performance, ACS is joined by the Asheville Waldorf Singers, young singers from the Asheville Waldorf School, alongside professional soloists and the full Asheville Choral Society.

A Meeting of Generations

At the heart of Mass of the Children is an idea that feels especially meaningful: we are stronger when we sing together.

The work gives children and adults distinct musical voices while bringing them together in moments of extraordinary unity. Their sounds meet, overlap, answer one another, and ultimately become something neither could create alone.

It is a fitting work for ACS’s 2026–2027 Come Together season, which explores the ways music connects us—to one another, across generations, and to something larger than ourselves.