CELEBRATION:

THE FIRST ROCHESTER EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Copy of Press Release

SUMMARY: MAYOR JOHNSON TO PERSONALLY DELIVER EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL WEEK PROCLAMATION IN HONOR OF CELEBRATION: THE FIRST ROCHESTER EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL, WHICH WILL BRING TOGETHER, FOR THE FIRST TIME, 12 OF ROCHESTER'S LEADING EARLY MUSIC GROUPS FOR 3 DAYS OF CONCERTS AND PRESENTATIONS OF INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL MUSIC

Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr., City of Rochester, will personally proclaim Early Music Festival Week at the opening of a three day festival bringing together, for the first time, 12 of the Rochester community's leading early music groups for a series of performances and presentations of more than 5 centuries of music by Bach and his predecessors. Celebration: The First Rochester Early Music Festival will be held from November 8th - 10th at the Memorial Art Gallery and Saint Anne Church and will feature a wide variety of music ranging from Gregorian chant to instrumental and vocal music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque performed by small groups of voices and period instruments.

Opening night will take place on Thursday, November 8th at 7:30 pm at the Memorial Art Gallery Auditorium (500 University Avenue, Rochester) and will feature Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr., City of Rochester, delivering a Proclamation stating that November 4 - 10, 2001 is Early Music Festival Week in Rochester. The evening will include opening remarks given by Thomas Folan (Director of The Publick Musick and the Rochester Bach Festival) in a talk entitled "Doctor, We Will Be Operating Using Original Instruments;" a preview concert featuring several of the participating ensembles; and a presentation with color slides and musical examples entitled "A Musical Detective Story: Josquin's Sacred Music for the Sforza Dukes of Milan" by Patrick Macey (Professor of Musicology and Acting Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester).

The first concert will take place on Friday, November 9th at 8:00 pm at Saint Anne Church (1600 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester) and will feature performances by Cantar e Sonar, The Eastman Collegium Musicum, The Genesee Consort, Musica Spei, Pegasus and the Schola Cantorum of Christ Church. Pegasus, an ensemble of two lutes and strings, will be making its Rochester debut at this performance. The second concert will take place on Saturday, November 10th at 8:00 pm at Saint Anne Church (1600 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester) and will feature performances by Air de Cour, Musica Transatlantica, The Publick Musick,the Rochester Bach Festival, Schola Feminarum and SONUM. Several of the instrumental groups each night will focus on music of the Italian Baroque, and all will be performing on period instruments, including Baroque violins, flutes and cellos; French and Italian-style harpsichords; lutes; and theorbo.

Rochester will become one of the few cities in the United States to have its own early music festival comprised primarily of local ensembles, a reflection of the tremendous growth of interest both in our community and around the country over the past two decades in the unusual and striking sounds of this music. This interest has manifested itself in numerous best selling recordings (Benedictine Monks, Christopher Hogwood, Nicholas Harnoncourt, etc.), busy concert schedules for many professional early music ensembles, use of this music in movie soundtracks, growth of educational programs in related areas at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, etc. Several nationally recognized experts based in our community will be participating, including conductor/harpsichordist Thomas Folan, soprano Colleen Liggett and musicologist Patrick Macey.

General admission tickets are $5 for November 8th, $10 for November 9th and $10 for November 10th. Patron tickets, which include a donation and Preferred Seating for all three events, are $40. Student and senior citizen tickets at $7 will be sold at the door on November 9th and 10th. General admission seating is unreserved and limited at both locations.

Tickets may be obtained at Borders (1000 Hylan Drive, Henrietta and opposite Eastview Mall, Victor) and at Parkleigh Pharmacy (215 Park Avenue, Rochester) or by calling (716) 742-3511.

For further information, visit www.musicaspei.org/festival01/festivalhome.asp or call (716) 742-3511.

Editors: For additional information, contact Steve at (716) 244-7764

CONCERT LISTING: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2001

DATE: Thursday, November 8th, 2001

TIME: 7:30 pm

LOCATION: Memorial Art Gallery Auditorium 500 University Avenue, Rochester

TITLE OF CONCERT: Celebration: The First Rochester Early Music Festival

PARTICIPANTS: Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr.; Thomas Folan; Patrick Macey; Cantar e Sonar; Musica Spei; Musica Transatlantica; Pegasus, Rochester Bach Festival

CONTENTS: Proclamation of Early Music Festival Week (Mayor Johnson); Preview Concert; Presentations by Thomas Folan ("Doctor, We Will Be Operating Using Original Instruments") and Patrick Macey ("A Musical Detective Story: Josquin's Sacred Music for The Sforza Dukes of Milan")

ADMISSION: $5
General Admission seating is limited. $40 (Patron, including Donation and Preferred Seating for all 3 evenings)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: (716) 742-3511

CONCERT LISTING: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2001

DATE: Friday, November 9th, 2001

TIME: 8:00 pm

LOCATION: Saint Anne Church 1600 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester

TITLE OF CONCERT: Celebration: The First Rochester Early Music Festival

PERFORMING GROUPS: Cantar e Sonar, Eastman Collegium Musicum, The Genesee Consort, Musica Spei, Pegasus (debut), Schola Cantorum of Christ Church

CONTENTS: Gregorian chant and vocal and instrumental music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque

ADMISSION: $10
General Admission seating is limited. $40 (Patron, including Donation and Preferred Seating for all 3 evenings)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: (716) 742-3511

CONCERT LISTING: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2001

DATE: Saturday, November 10th

TIME: 8:00 pm

LOCATION: Saint Anne Church 1600 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester

TITLE OF CONCERT: Celebration: The First Rochester Early Music Festival

PERFORMING GROUPS: Air de Cour, Musica Transatlantica, The Publick Musick, the Rochester Bach Festival, Schola Feminarum, SONUM

CONTENTS: Gregorian chant and vocal and instrumental music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque

ADMISSION: $10
General Admission seating is limited $40 (Patron, including Donation and Preferred Seating for all 3 evenings)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: (716) 742-3511

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