Required Concert for Wagner music students
Ex umbris is in residence at Wagner College
"The best early music group today!"
Sunday, September 23, 2007, 3:00 P.M.
Christ Episcopal Church
76 Franklin Ave.
For travel directions and map see
http://www.christchurchnbrighton.org/contact.htm
Admission free
A part of the Christ Church Serenade Series
“Performances beyond superlatives!” “In a word, Amazing!”
“All the musicological and performing skills brought together in one delightful explosion.”"
A dazzling display of voices, lutes, sackbuts, bagpipes, recorders, viola da gambas,cornets, krummhorns, harps, and other instruments of the time."
Grant Herreid, voice, lute, viol
Christa Patton, voice, Renaissance harp, recorder, lute
Paul Shipper, voice, Renaissance guitar, recorder, lute, percussion
Nell Shaidas, voice, Renaissance guitar
Karen Hansen, voice, violin, viol, recorder, sackbut
Tom Zajac voice, recorder, flute, sackbut
Tina Chancey, voice, viol, violin, recorder
The Courtier and the Queen:
Elizabeth I and Her Favorites
Songs and readings from contemporary chronicles and accounts.
Sir Philip Sidney: President of Chivalry
Sir Walter Raleigh: Amore at Virtute
Sir Henry Lee: Queens Champion
Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex: Queen's Favorite
The following three selections are from the Sept. 22, 2002, Wagner concert by Ex umbris,
Dancing in the Shadow of the Cross, music from 14th/15th-Century Spain
La gran chacona, Anon.
In its early days the chacona was pretty wild. Here is a brief condensation of some of the text:
Es chacona un son gustoso De consonancias graciosas Que en oyen dole tañer Todos mis hueses Retoçan No ay fraile tan recoxido Ni monja tan Relixiosa Que en oyendo aqueste son No dexen sus santas oras. A la vida, vidita bona Vida, bamonos a chacona!… "Chacona is a pleasant sound of graceful consonance and every time I hear it played my bones wake up and dance… There is no monk who is so pure nor such a holy nun who wouldn’t interrupt their praying when they hear this sound: To life, the good life, life, let’s go to chacona!… A monk was singing in the choir when by chance his resonant voice rang out “Vida bona.” When the monks heard what he said they wrapped their cloaks around themselves and began leaping and dancing all day, not even stopping to eat. A la vida, vidita bona Vida, bamonos a chacona!… When one of the priests was burying a shepherdess, instead of saying 'Rest in peace,' he cried out 'Vida bona.' And all present began to jump and dance. Even the dead woman seemed to jerk her head. A la vida, vidita bona Vida, bamonos a chacona!… The people were then repentant and went to the bishop of Pamplona for forgiveness. When the bishop asked them to sing a stanza, then he started to twitch. He lifted his skirts and danced, shaking all the rooms in the house, bedrooms, kitchens, parlors. Then he forgave them all. A la vida, vidita bona Vida, bamonos a chacona!"
Kursi, nuba Ghrib, Arabo-Andalusian
The nuba of modern North Africa, though now a composed tradition, traces its lineage directly to the music of the Moors in Spain.
La perra mora, Anon. La perra mora, Di matadora, Por qué me matas, Y siendo tuyo, Tan mal me tratas. ("Tell me, Moorish bitch, tell me, slayer, why you kill me and, while I'm yours, treat me so badly?")
Travel directions to Christ Episcopal are found at the church web-site
http://www.christchurchnbrighton.org/contact.htm
Directions from Wagner: Go down Howard Ave. to Bay St, Turn left. At the Ferry Terminal Bay St. becomes
Richmond Terrace. Continue on Richmond Terrace for about a mile. Turn left.
Christ Church is about two blocks up on Franklin Ave.
