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Matthew Lewis talks Handel and Galbraith
Posted 8/16/2023
St. George's Choral Society will begin rehearsals for its fall concert on Wednesday, September 6 at 7 PM at St. Mary's Byzantine Church, located at 236 East 15th Street. The performance will be on December 3 at Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 9th Avenue.
Matthew Lewis, Artistic Director for the group, shares his insights on these composers and the program.
Laura Daly: This looks like an unusual program, pairing two very different works. How did you decide on it?
Matthew Lewis: You are right, they are very different works, and will complement each other well on the same ticket. I planned a program for string orchestra, organ and chorus and I love the combination of old and new. The Handel is a brilliant piece: dramatic, expressive, virtuoso and full of contrasts. The Galbraith is very modern and in a vocabulary that the audience and singers will both find attractive. Dixit Dominus has been on my wish list for years and we have performed the Galbraith some time ago, but only with organ. (She wrote it in two versions.)
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Ember Choral Arts announces Ember Ablaze Composer Lab Competition
Posted 8/10/2023
Ember Choral Arts, led by Artistic Director Deborah Simpkin King, announces the opening of applications for the Ember Ablaze Composer Lab (EACL) Competition, directed by Ember's Composer in Residence, Robert Paterson. This prestigious competition furthers Ember Choral Arts' mission to foster new choral compositions and extend the reach of the Ember Choral Arts.
The Ember Ablaze Composer Lab commissions two talented composers each season from what is anticipated to be a large applicant pool-one from the youth composer category (ages 13-21) and one from the emerging composers category (ages 22-35). Honorable mentions will be awarded to the top two winners in each category. Selected composers participate in workshops and premieres of their works, receiving archival audio files and potential YouTube links to showcase their compositions.
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- ALERT: Steve Friedman will be touring Italy with Ghostlight Chorus from June 29 through July 9. Updates to the Vocal Area Network site may be delayed while he's traveling. Prompt updates will resume on July 10. (2023-6-28)
- View the Canticum Novum Singers' final concert after 50 seasons, a performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor from May 13, for $15 at canticumnovum.in.live/show/details/harold_rosenbaum_tag. (2023-5-31)
- Nice write-up in The New York Times about Steven Fox and and the Clarion Choir's upcoming performances of Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil. (2023-5-3)
- Legislators in New York City have passed a law requiring retailers -- including concert venues -- to show the full price of tickets, with all fees included up front. For details, see gothamist.com/news/nyc-is-getting-rid-of-surprise-add-on-fees-in-ticket-prices. (2023-4-13)
- New York Opera Alliance (NYOA), with support from OPERA America, has announced NYOANext, a new citywide opera series spotlighting local artists and companies in each of New York's five boroughs. The initiative begins with a spotlight on the Bronx with a three-day festival April 20, 22 and 23, 2023, celebrating the borough's vibrant and varied opera community. Opera companies from around the five boroughs, including the 56-year old Bronx Opera, will perform in the Bronx with local artists from the neighborhood. For details, visit NYoperaalliance.org. (2023-3-3)
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- October 3, 2023: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for Goro, a one-on-a-part Renaissance vocal ensemble based in Freeport, NY.
- September 26, 2023: We believe that we have restored the Concert Calendar New Listing form to proper functioning. (It had been the only casualty of our move to a new web hosting provider a few weeks ago.) If you run into issues using it, though, please let Steve Friedman know.
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- September 6, 2023: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for the St. Luke's Community Choir in Katonah, NY, directed by Harold Rosenbaum.
- August 10, 2023: New Choir Auditions ad for The Brasiles Ensemble
- June 26, 2023: New Choir Directory listing for Cappella Festiva Cor Capriccio Children's Choir, a non-auditioned group for ages 7-11 in Poughkeepsie, NY.
- May 15, 2023: New links for OPERA America and its OPERA America's National Opera Center, offering rehearsal spaces for choruses, ensembles and individuals.
- February 14, 2023: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for the New York Gregorian Chant Project.
- January 16, 2023: New Choir Directory listing for the Washington Heights Community Choir, a no-audition choir in upper Manhattan.
- December 15, 2022: New Choir Directory listing and Choir Auditions ad for the St. John's Choir, a semi-pro church choir in Somerville, NJ directed by Mark Trautman.
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