Sunday: March 6, 2011
5PM
obbligato II: Guitar / nostalgic
A Performance by the CANTORI Vocal Ensemble
of New Work:
Night Keeps Its Promise
A Song Cycle by Frank Levy on Poems by Joel Allegretti.
&
A Gypsy cycle on Lorca texts by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, both for chorus, baritone and guitar,
&
Renaissance music by John Dowland, and madrigals by Paul Hindemith.
&
Music for guitar. Christopher Kenniff, guitar.
@
Church of Holy Trinity (Episocopal)
316 East 88th Street
(1st & 2nd Avenues)
Admission: Adults $25; Seniors $20; Students/Children $5
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I'm writing a couple of months ahead of time so you'll mark the date. On Sunday, March 6, Cantori, a 36-member vocal ensemble, will perform the world premiere of "Night Keeps Its Promise," a song cycle by Frank Ezra Levy on my poetry.
The performance will take place 5 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues. In addition to "Night Keeps Its Promise," Cantori will sing gypsy songs on poems by Lorca and Renaissance madrigals.
Frank Levy composed the song cycle on three of my poems: "The Italian," published in Voices in Italian Americana in 2010; "Bellman of the Dead," which appears in my first book, The Plague Psalms; and "The Sea at Our Door," published in River Oak Review in 2008.
"Night Keeps Its Promise" is our second collaboration. In 2009, Kean University presented the world premiere of our first song cycle, "A Cycle by the Sea." Frank was for many years a cellist with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra. His symphonic work appears in the American Classics Series on the Naxos label. The series includes recordings of works by John Cage, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and Ned Rorem.
Here's the link to Cantori's website, where you can purchase tickets. I hope to see you on March 6.
http://www.cantorinewyork.com/concerts_currentSeason.php
Joel
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| Joel Allegretti |
THRUM, a new chapbook by Joel Allegretti from Poets Wear Prada
ISBN 978-0-9841844-4-6, Trade Paperback, 38pp., $12.00
"In Thrum Joel Allegretti, deftly and delightfully, strums his magical musical instrument, which is poetry, as he forges fresh forms of songs and stories that are inspired by strummers' strings. 'Context is everything,' Allegretti reminds us, and we’re planted in the heart of a global ancient/modern orchestra. Prepare yourself for the revelatory performance."
Martine Bellen
Author of Tales of Murasaki and Other Poems,
1997 National Poetry Series selection
"Joel Allegretti's latest collection of poems is as enjoyable as it is different. Thrum takes the reader on a journey that explores known musical instruments, such as the mandolin, dulcimer and fiddle, as well as some not-so-known instruments, such as the oud, koto and theorbo. But what makes this journey unique is that each instrument is in a sense personified as the emotive element of each instrument is brought to life. Allegretti does a wonderful job tuning every poem so that the music of each instrument is realized again and again in the words on the page. An intriguing and must read for anyone who has a sense of all that culminates in the commingling of the arts."
Raymond Hammond
Editor, The New York Quarterly
Now Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Thrum-Poems-Joel-Allegretti/dp/0984184449/
