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CELEBRATION:
THE FIRST ROCHESTER EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
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Copy of Press Release
SUMMARY:
PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCED FOR "CELEBRATION: THE FIRST ROCHESTER EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL;" TO FEATURE VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC COMPOSED ALMOST A MILLENIUM APART - INCLUDING A WORLD PREMIERE COMPOSED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS FESTIVAL - PERFORMED BY A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ENSEMBLES PRIMARILY BASED IN ROCHESTER
A wide range of vocal and instrumental music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque from England, Italy, Germany and the Flemish countries - as well as a world premiere composed for this Festival - will be performed by groups mostly based in Rochester over the three evenings of CELEBRATION: THE FIRST ROCHESTER EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL, which will open at the Memorial Art Gallery Auditorium (500 University Avenue) on Thursday, November 8th at 7:30 p.m. and continue with two concert programs at Saint Anne Church (1600 Mount Hope Avenue) on Friday and Saturday, November 9th and 10th at 8:00 p.m.
On Friday, November 9th, the vocal performances will include the mostly male Schola Cantorum of Christ Church, which will perform Gregorian chant, early organum and motets by Thomas Tallis and William Byrd; Cantar e Sonar (Colleen Liggett, soprano and Deborah Fox, theorbo) in English songs by Henry Purcell, Henry Lawes and Nicholas Lanier; and the a cappella choral ensemble Musica Spei (Music of Hope) in music by the great Flemish composer Josquin des Prez and the little known Scottish composer David Peebles. The instrumental performances will include The Genesee Consort (of The Genesee Early Music Society) in a performance of one of the sonatas from Telemann's "Paris" Quartets. Pegasus, a period instrument ensemble of two Baroque violins, baroque cello and two lutes which will be making its debut at this performance, will begin the Festival's exploration of instrumental music of the Italian Baroque with the performance of Venetian music by Merula, Rosenmüller and Vivaldi.
On Saturday, November 10th, the vocal performances will again begin with chant performed by Schola Feminarum, an all-female ensemble directed by Colleen Liggett, who also directs and joins tenors Eric Lobenstine and Jeff Harp in the vocal ensemble Musica Transatlantica for rarely performed songs by Dufay, Binchois, Dunstable and Fayrfax. The vocal component of this evening will also feature the premiere performance of Stephen Kennedy's "UNCTION" performed by SONUM, an ensemble directed by composer Kennedy which uses improvisation to create a fusion of ancient and contemporary music. Kennedy composed the work specifically for this early music festival as a commentary on recent events. He describes "UNCTION" ("the act of anointing; anything that soothes or comforts") as being a contemporary work uniting ancient chant melodies from the Armenian, Byzantine, Ethiopian and Gregorian tradition through the use of voices as well as recorded sounds. The instrumental component will include further explorations of the instrumental music of the Italian Baroque by Air de Cour in works by Vitali and Fontana, and by The Publick Music in an instrumental work by Dario Castello and a very rarely performed motet for soprano, strings and continuo by a female composer, Maria Xaveria Peruchona. Rochester Bach Festival will perform sonatas by J.S. Bach and his most famous son, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
Opening night at the Memorial Art Gallery on Thursday, November 8th, will be highlighted by the presence of Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr., City of Rochester, who will read a proclamation designating November 4 - 10 "Early Music Festival Week" in Rochester. In addition to a Concert Preview consisting of brief performances by Cantar e Sonar, Musica Spei, Musica Transatlantica and Pegasus, there will be an opening speech by Thomas Folan (Director, The Publick Musick and Rochester Bach Festival) entitled "Doctor, We Will Be Operating Using Original Instruments." Patrick Macey, (Professor of Musicology and Acting Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester) and internationally renowned musicologist, will give a presentation entitled "A Musical Detective Story: Josquin's Sacred Music for the Sforza Dukes of Milan" that will include a slide presentation and musical examples performed by Cantar e Sonar and Musica Spei.
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
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