Submitted Photo Emerson Eads’ new arrangement of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” will be performed by the Minot Chamber Chorale and dedicated to the memory of Twilla Peterson.

The North Dakota premiere of Norwegian composer Kim Andre Arnesen’s “Magnificat” along with two pieces dedicated to the memory of Twilla Peterson will be presented by the Minot Chamber Chorale at its Winter Classical Masterpiece Concert on Sunday.

The concert will begin at 3 p.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the Minot State University campus.

“Magnificat” will be performed featuring Seattle-based soprano Tess Altiveros. Altiveros recently made her premiere with the Seattle Opera.

Emerson Eads, artistic director of the Minot Chamber Chorale, said the final two pieces will be dedicated to the memory of Twilla Peterson. Peterson was a member of the Minot Chamber Chorale.

“Magnificat” will be followed by Eads’ arrangement of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.” Eads arranged the piece especially to honor Peterson.

“Ave Verum Corpus” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will also be performed to celebrate Peterson’s life in song.

According to information from the composer, “Magnificat’ is a song of praise about one of the Bible’s greatest wonders: the angel Gabriel visiting Mary with the message that she will be the mother of God’s son. In this work I have tried to express what a young, poor woman must have felt on receiving such a message: wonder, devotion, gratitude, joy, humility hope and compassion. God has a heart for the poor, and when God chose a poor woman to be the mother of his Son, it says something about a bottom-up view of the world. My ‘Magnificat’ is therefore a prayer for the sick, the poor, a song for help and hope for those who are struggling.”

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow,” arranged by Emerson Eads, is a gospel hymn written by lyricist Civilla Martin and composer Charles Gabriel in 1905. According to Eads, the hymn “has supplied many a singer and listener alike with hope in difficult times. The Minot Chamber Chorale just lost Twilla Peterson, a soprano who has sung with the group for over three decades. This arrangement and performance is dedicated to our beloved Twilla.”