 Brattleboro Concert Choir
Blanche Moyse Birthday Gala
Handel Selections from Solomon
Mozart Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339
Muhly Jubilate
Saturday, October 17, 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 18, 3:00pm
Persons Auditorium, Marlboro College
Tickets $20, $12 students 18 and under.
Select to purchase on-line:
Sat., October 17, 7:30 pm
Sun., October 18, 3 pm
Or call the BMC at 802-257-4523.
The Brattleboro Concert Choir and Festival Orchestra celebrate the 100th birthday of chorus founder Blanche Moyse with two composers beloved by Mme. Moyse and a new work commissioned in her honor.
This gala concert begins with selections from Handel’s theatrical setting of Solomon. From the first notes of the grandly dramatic overture, Handel’s supreme mastery of the evocation of emotion is evident. The solo arias and duet that follow vividly depict the humanity of the characters of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon, sung by soprano Junko Watanabe and Mary Westbrook-Geha respectively.
The concert’s next composer, Nico Muhly, just may be the most talked about young composer on the planet right now. Muhly was commissioned by Artistic Director Susan Dedell to write a piece in honor of Blanche Moyse, dedicated to her lasting legacy and importance.
Muhly draws inspiration from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English music as well as from the spare repetitions of Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Muhly’s Jubilate pulses with oscillating energy that evokes the simultaneous contracting and expanding universe. “The piece creates both a sense of limitless and timeless space and an urgent immediacy. Nico’s vision is singular, remarkable -- both emotionally moving and intellectually stimulating, I adore this piece!” says director Susan Dedell.
The 100th Birthday gala program concludes with the glorious Mozart Vespers, K. 339, a choral work that is rightly one of the most beloved compositions of all time. “Every rehearsal of this piece has made me giddy with happiness,” says Dedell. “It’s completely amazing how much spontaneous joy and love flow through Mozart.”
Soloists for the Vespers are Junko Watanabe, soprano; Mary Westbrook-Geha, mezzo-soprano; William Hite, tenor; and David Ripley, bass.
Soprano Junko Watanabe was praised by the Boston Globe for her “ravishing soprano line” and has appeared as a soloist with Chorus proMusica, Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been a Marlboro Music festival participant for several years.
Mary Westbrook-Geha was one of Blanche Moyse’s favorite soloists, appearing over several seasons in the New England Bach Festival. She has appeared with the Dresden Staatskapelle, Boston Symphony, Handel & Haydn Society, and summer festivals at Tanglewood, Caramoor, and Marlboro.
Tenor William Hite has been described by the Boston Globe as "a breathtaking communicator" and has appeared with such groups as the American Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, in repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary music.
Bass David Ripley was also a frequent soloist with the New England Bach Festival, and has been soloist with the Boston Camerata, Cantata Singers, and the Waverly Consort. In addition to his performing activities, he is Professor of Music at the University of New Hampshire, where he teaches voice and directs the opera workshop.
Tickets $20, $12 students 18 and under.
Select to purchase on-line:
Sat., October 17, 7:30 pm
Sun., October 18, 3 pm
Or call the BMC at 802-257-4523.
link to the New Yorker Muhly article
link to the Newsweek Muhly article
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