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Melodia offers "Incantations"
Posted 11/15/2019
The
allure of the supernatural, the mystery of mysticism, the seduction of the
spiritual. Our human desire to connect to something beyond what can be known, to
extend belief in something larger, to explain the unfathomable is as old as
human time. This autumn season, as the days darken, Melodia Women’s Choir of
NYC, under the direction of Conductor Cynthia Powell, brings audiences
"Incantations," a program that Melodia says, “contemplates life, death and the
realm of the spirit.”
Incantations features two mystical-tinged U.S. premieres, Days and
Moments — Autumn and Winter from English composer Robin Milford (1903-1959)
based on the poetry of Walter de la Mare (1873-1956), and Fairy Day: Three
Idylls for Female Chorus by Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford
(1852-1924).
“I have always had a special fascination with the arcane and the
inexplicable, and I love English choral music,” said Artistic Director Cynthia
Powell. “When Melodia found the suite by Robin Milford, who was a student of
Vaughan Williams, and the cantata by Charles V. Stanford describing the world of
fairies and nature spirits, I knew they would be featured in a Melodia concert
someday. That we are performing them for American audiences for the first time
is an added thrill!”
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- Essential Voices USA has released a new CD entitled Rejoice! Honoring the Jewish Spirit on the Acis label. (2019-11-29)
- Choral Chameleon has released an album of the Goshu Ondo Suite by Eri Yamamoto, recorded live (and off-book) in November 2018 at the studios of the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Manhattan. The album is available on Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes, Pandora and Spotify. CDs are available from AUM Fidelity. (2019-11-21)
- Michael A. Ciavaglia is the new artistic director of the Connecticut Chamber Choir (2019-8-25)
- Read the New York Tiimes story abou the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and its collaborations with cutting-edge composers and popular musicians. (2019-7-21)
- The American Masters series on PBS (Channel 13 in NYC) offers "Robert Shaw. Man of Many Voice" on Friday, June 21 at 9 PM. For details visit www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/robert-shaw-man-of-many-voices-about/11465/. (2019-6-20)
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