kitchen_kink | Entries tagged with music

Guys, the concert coming up this Sunday is going to be electrifying.

First, the new oratorio by Mohammed Fairouz, Anything Can Happen, which combines three Seamus Heaney poems with similarly apocalyptic texts from the Arabic Injeel. See more about it here or here.

The piece is giving me chills, especially now that we're working with the violist (Roger Tapping) and the soloist (David Kravitz - squee!). Come get your hair stood on end...

...And after that, hear us knock the Mozart Requiem out of the park. You know you wanna.

Get your tickets here, and use my last name as the discount code!

Folks, I'm excited to report that the BBC is singing Brahms' Requiem with the Boston Youth Symphony this Sunday at 3pm at Symphony (freakin') Hall. This is very exciting to me; the symphony of insanely talented kids is, well, insanely talented; singing in Symphony Hall is thrilling, and the Brahms is just an outstanding, gorgeous piece of music.

We won't be led by Scott this time, but by Federico Cortese, the maestro of the BYSO and assistant conductor of the BSO for 7 years.

Tickets are available through the BSO's website.

Please do come - it should be very exciting!

Me (seeing the tall and lovely double-bass player who usually plays with us entering): I just love that gorgeous double-bass player.

Really Cool Retired Minister Lady: Oo, yes he is, isn't he!? It's also great that he has that enormous instrument.

Me: *practically sits on her own tongue to avoid speaking*

Hey all,

The Back Bay Chorale spring concert season is nearly upon us! In March, we have not one but two major concerts coming up! Preparation for this has been interesting, let me tell you. The St. John Passion is yet another long and intensely difficult piece by Bach, with all of the rewards that that tends to entail. And the Brahms Requiem is simply one of the most luscious pieces of music ever. Come enjoy one or both, bring your friends!

First up!
Bach's St. John Passion
Directed by Scott Allen Jarrett
March 10, 2012 at 8pm
Sanders Theatre, Harvard University
with:
Dann Coakwell, Evangelist
Paul Max Tipton, Jesus
Margot Rood, soprano
Emily Marvosh, mezzo-soprano
Aaron Sheehan, tenor
Sumner Thompson, baritone

Tickets here!

Next, in a new turn for the BBC, we'll be singing as the guest choir with the Boston Youth Symphony on Brahms' German Requiem. This means singing at Symphony Hall!

Brahms' German Requiem
with the Boston Youth Symphony
Directed by Federico Cortese
Sunday, March 25, 2012, 3pm
Symphony Hall
Purchase your tickets for this concert here.

Everyone, this concert is going to be absolutely epic, delicious, gorgeous fun.

Verdi's Requiem is the only Requiem mass I've ever heard that sounds like grand opera. There will be eight trumpets, I think two sets of timpani, fantastic soloists including Yeghishe Manucharyan of Elijah fame, and of course, our fabulous choir. All in Sanders Theatre, one of the most wonderful spaces in the Boston area to sing.

Tickets range from $20 to $50, and student rates are available. Get your tickets in advance and avoid the will call line! Come on out this Saturday the 14th at 8pm and be moved. Pre-concert lecture at 7p by former Boston Globe music critic Richard Dyer.

The Back Bay Chorale, with whom I've been happily singing for a few years now, has a couple of fabulous events coming up!

First, the fundraising gala, Celebrazione de la Primavera. This is going to be a lovely, black-tie-optional party at the Longwood Cricket Club, including hor d'oeuvres, decadent desserts, amazing silent auction items, live music and more. If you have enjoyed our music in the past, please attend, show your support, and enjoy a beautiful evening - the venue is absolutely gorgeous, and you could walk out with a week in a vacation house in Martha's Vineyard, theatre tickets, gift certificates for dinner, wine, a spa date or clothing, or many more one-of-a-kind items.

Next, part of what the gala is fundraising for: to pay for the magnificent orchestra that will play with us on Verdi's Requiem at the Sanders Theatre on May 14 at 8pm! This stirring and decadent piece of music is a thrilling, ambitious end to our 2010/2011 season.

Get tickets to either - or both - events here!

A pretty great review of Saturday night's Rachmaninoff performance in the Boston Musical Intelligencer.

We go again on March 19, at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Portland, ME.

Hey all,

On March 5 at 8pm, I'll be singing Sergei Rachmaninoff's All Night Vigil, also known as the Vespers, with the Back Bay Chorale.

Contrary to what the title suggests, this concert will run about 70 minutes, with no intermission, and promises to be 70 minutes of the most achingly beautiful music you'll ever hear.

The Vespers is Rach's take on Russian liturgical music, taking its themes from Orthodox chant as well as Russian folk music, and spun in his own inimitable, Romantic-era, gorgeously yearning way.

It was Rachmaninoff's own favorite piece, and was a hit when he wrote it in 1915. It was banned after the Revolution, however, and wasn't heard again inside Russia until 1980.

I'll be in the Alto II section, trying not to cry while I sing. I imagine that pronouncing the Old Church Slavonic will help distract me.

Please come; it's going to be a beautiful evening, and brief! Tickets can be purchased in advance here.

Whether you saw 2010: Our Hideous Future: The Musical! at Arisia last night, last summer at Boston Playwrights' Theatre, or not at all yet, get your fresh hot original cast recording at iTunes now!!

I unfortunately have no link to give you, but if you go to the iTunes store and search for "our hideous future," you should get it right away.

Also, here we are on Amazon!

ou've got two more chances this season to listen to holiday songs sung by the Chants! Come join us this Saturday either at the ice rink or the coffee shop -- depending on how warm &/or active you want to be! We look forward to sharing some holiday cheer with you.

WHAT: Kendall Square Holiday on Ice
DETAILS: The Community Ice Rink will have free admission all day, plus
entertainment and food in the afternoon.
WHEN: 2-6pm, Saturday, 12/18
The Chants will be singing at 3:30pm
COST: Free!
WHERE: 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

WHAT: Acoustic Showcase
DETAILS: 3 groups perform music while you enjoy your coffee
WHEN: 5-8pm, Saturday, 12/18
5pm Barrett & Eastburn
6pm Holiday Sing!
7pm Random Chants
COST: Free!
WHERE: Starbucks, 60 Bedford Street, Lexington

In harmony,
Random Chants

Sop 1: Kris Bruneau, Mila Pavek
Sop 2: Anne Marie Reardon, Courtney Walsh
Alto 1: Kristen Child, Maura Gallagher
Alto 2: Kamela Dolinova, Alix Fox, Sara Grady (on hiatus)

__._,_.___

Random Chants, the all-women's a cappella group of which I'm a part, is entering its holiday season! We have a fun and inclusive repertoire of holiday music, including a cheesy Drifters-esque version of "White Christmas" on which I sing the snappy, loungey lead vocal.

We'll be performing at Starbucks in Lexington and at the Holly Fair in Harvard Square this season, but we're hoping for a few more gigs. Does your office party need a little extra flair? Could your charity event benefit from some live music? Does the population you work with need some cheer?

Let me know, and I'll put you in touch with our manager. Rates are negotiable.

Thanks!

The Chants are back at the Acoustic Showcase in Lexington this weekend, and we hope you'll be there with us! We'll be kicking off three hours of musical entertainment, so clear out your schedule and come enjoy some tunes (and a coffee, and maybe even a scone....)

WHAT: Acoustic Showcase
WHEN: 5-8pm, Saturday, 10/2
5pm Random Chants (a cappella, as you all know!)
6pm Julian Baptista (vocal/acoustic guitar)
7pm Diane Taraz (vocal/guitar/lap dulcimer)
COST: Free!
WHERE: Starbucks, 60 Bedford Rd, Lexington
http://acousticshowcaselexington.blogspot.com/

In harmony,
Random Chants

Sop 1: Kris Bruneau, Mila Pavek
Sop 2: Anne Marie Reardon, Courtney Walsh
Alto 1: Kristen Child, Maura Gallagher
Alto 2: Kamela Dolinova, Alix Fox, Sara Grady

Hi, all!

We're looking for more voices in the all-female a cappella group I sing in, Random Chants. We do a fun mixed repertoire, mainly pop with a little jazz, rock, and prog rock thrown in for good measure.

Below is the audition call!

*****

The Chants are looking to add some new voices to our mix. We're hoping that some of you might be interested in moving from the audience onto the stage with us -- or that you might know other people who would be a good fit with us.

Some details to help you decide:

We're looking for the outer voice parts this time: rumbling Alto 2's (the sort who can hit a low D without breaking a sweat) and stratospheric Soprano 1's (the kind who aren't scared by a high F or G). Interest in vocal percussion and/or experience in directing are welcome, though not required. Arranging skills are also a plus.

We practice weekly in the greater Boston area. As you know, our repertoire ranges all over the musical spectrum. Check out our website at RandomChants.com to learn more, then contact Maura at auditions@randomchants.com to set up an audition. We look forward to seeing you!

In harmony,
Random Chants

Sop 1: Kris Bruneau, Laurie Isaacson
Sop 2: Anne Marie Reardon, Courtney Walsh
Alto 1: Kristen Child, Maura Gallagher
Alto 2: Kamela Dolinova, Alix Fox, Sara Grady

Last night was an absolute thrill. On Thursday we had sold just over 400 tickets; on Saturday we nearly filled the Sanders, going over 800. The concert was electrifying, although I could not quite decode the strange looks that Scott kept giving us. It was hard to tell, most of the time, whether he was overcome with emotion, nervous to be riding along on this monumental score, or just pissed that we just got something wrong. I for one couldn't tell if we did or not: from where I was standing, it was nearly impossible to hear much else besides the orchestra. By the end, though, I was exhausted, and felt light-headed during the second iteration of the Osanna.

Probably the most rewarding moment came at the end, when the soloists received a partial standing ovation, and most of the remainder of the audience saved their loudest cheers and standing for when the chorus was acknowledged. I felt myself glowing like a light bulb, and that energy carried me through the rest of a delightful evening at Christopher's with

imlad and chorus friends.

There's something about making it through a very difficult and perfectly constructed work of music that is like nothing else for me. I'm so glad that I've come back to this, and am doing it with such an incredibly talented group of singers and instrumentalists.

Hi everyone,

Please join me and the rest of the Back Bay Chorale, led by the wonderful Scott Allen Jarrett, for a performance of Bach's B Minor Mass on May 15 at the Sanders Theatre.

This piece is just spectacular - monumental, soaring, insanely difficult and, believe it or not, fun.

Tickets are available here.

Please join us!

What: Bach's Mass in B Minor
Who: Back Bay Chorale with sopranos Kendra Colton, and Sonja Tengblad, mezzo Krista River, tenor Aaron Sheehan, and bass/baritone Sumner Thompson
When: May 15, 8pm
Where: Sanders Theatre
How: Get your tickets here!

Hey all,

The a cappella group I sing with, Random Chants, will be performing at the Lexington Starbucks on May 1 at 6pm as part of their ongoing Acoustic Showcase. We'll be premiering three new tunes, so come out and enjoy.

The Acoustic Showcase always features a bunch of great acts - I recommend arriving early and staying late!

Acoustic Showcase
May 1, 6pm
Starbucks
60 Bedford Rd.
Lexington, MA

Hi everyone,

Details below about a gig we're doing at the Acoustic Showcase in Lexington on Saturday. It's always a good time with good musicians, and I hope to see some of you there!

***

Thanks to all who came to our holiday gigs in December -- we had a great time singing for you! In fact, we had so much fun at the Acoustic Showcase up in Lexington that we're going back again! We'll be performing with 2 other musicians to give you a wide variety of music. Come grab a cup of coffee and a scone or two and relax this
Saturday evening with us!

WHAT: Acoustic Showcase
WHEN: 5-8pm, Saturday, 2/6
5pm Random Chants
6pm Via Perkins
7pm Diane Taraz
COST: Free!
WHERE: Starbucks, 60 Bedford Rd, Lexington
http://acousticshowcaselexington.blogspot.com/

In harmony,
Random Chants

Hey all,

This weekend, Random Chants is singing twice in Massachusetts. Saturday at noon we'll be in Harvard Square for an hour-long set at the Holly Fair. Sunday we'll be singing two sets starting at 10:30 at the Newburyport Farmer's Market/Crafts Fair. Below are more details - hope you can make it and hear my terribly loungey version of "White Christmas"!

***
We're pleased to present you with not just one but TWO chances to hear us sing this weekend. We'll be doing our traditional holiday performance at the Holly Fair in Harvard Square on Saturday, so you can listen to music and do your shopping at the same time. And if you need to track down still more presents, come join us the next day at the Newburyport Farmer's Market where we'll be singing a mix of holiday tunes and songs that work year-round.

WHAT: CCAE's Holly Fair
WHEN: 12 Noon, Saturday 12/12
COST: Free!
WHERE: Cambridge Center for Adult Education (CCAE)
Brattle House, 42 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA

WHAT: Newburyport Fall Farmer's Market
WHEN: 10:30am - 12:30pm, Sunday, 12/13
COST: Free!
WHERE: Market Lounge, Tannery Marketplace (indoors)
50 Water St, Newburyport

We look forward to seeing you!

In harmony,
Random Chants

The all-female a capella group in which I sing is beginning its holiday performances. The first one, in Lexington, is this Saturday evening! See below for details, and I hope to see some of you there.

***
It's the start of December, which means there's a passel of holiday gigs in our future! In fact, the first of many is this Saturday at the Acoustic Showcase at the Starbucks in Lexington. We'll be performing with 3 other groups to give you a wide variety of music, both holidayish and not. Come grab a cup of coffee and a scone or two and relax this Saturday evening with us!

WHAT: Acoustic Showcase
WHEN: 5-8pm, Saturday, 12/5
5pm Chris Eastburn and Mike Barrett
6pm Alyssa Zahka
6:30pm Random Chants
7pm Robert Cedrone
COST: Free!
WHERE: Starbucks, 60 Bedford Rd, Lexington
http://acousticshowcaselexington.blogspot.com/

-----------

We've got two other public gigs lined up for the holiday season, so get them on your calendars now! We'll be doing our traditional performance at the Holly Fair in Harvard Square on Saturday the 12th, so you can listen to music and do your holiday shopping at the same time. And if you need to track down still more presents, come join us the next day at the Newburyport Farmer's Market.

WHAT: CCAE's Holly Fair
WHEN: 12 Noon, Saturday 12/12
COST: Free!
WHERE: Cambridge Center for Adult Education (CCAE)
Brattle House, 42 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
http://www.ccae.org/hollyfair.html

WHAT: Newburyport Fall Farmer's Market
WHEN: 10:30am - 12:30pm, Sunday, 12/13
COST: Free!
WHERE: Market Lounge, Tannery Marketplace (indoors)
50 Water St, Newburyport
http://thenewburyportfarmersmarket.org/

In harmony,
Random Chants

Sop 1: Kris Bruneau, Laurie Isaacson
Sop 2: Anne Marie Reardon, Courtney Walsh
Alto 1: Kristen Child, Maura Gallagher
Alto 2: Kamela Dolinova, Alix Fox, Sara Grady

__._,_.___

Please join me and the biggest cast Theatre @ First has ever had for a concert production of a NEW musical by local Colleen Campbell. It will be performed twice only, 9/26 at 8pm and 9/27 at 3pm, at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. More details below!

Also, this weekend on WERS, several of us will be talking and singing about the show on "Standing Room Only." Tune in to 88.9 FM at 1pm!

*****

Get your tickets now online for Theatre@First's Fall show!

"Never After: Not Your Grandmother’s Fairytale Musical"
An original musical fairytale comedy, performed in concert with a live orchestra
~TWO SHOWS ONLY~ September 26 & 27 @ Somerville Theater!

Written & Composed by Somerville playwright Colleen Campbell
Stage Direction by Elizabeth Hunter
Music Direction by Thom Whittemore

'Never After' is the story of Princess Lesley Ann(Les), a princess who
falls in love with...another princess! Stifled in her fairytale
princess role, Les leaves the kingdom of Generica to seek adventure.
Along the way, she finds friends and love in unlikely places, meets
some very merry men, fights dragons, and discovers her own indomitable
strength.

TWO PERFORMANCES: ~ Just Two Days ~
Saturday, September 26 @ 8 pm
Sunday, September 27 @ 3 pm

NEW VENUE for Theatre@First:
The Main Stage of Somerville Theater
55 Davis Square, on Red Line T and bus routes
First floor space; wheelchair accessible
Bring all your friends to this huge theater!

TICKETS: Now available online!
$15/ $12 for students & seniors (includes a $1 theater restoration fee)
Read Ticket Purchase info @ theatreatfirst.org/tickets.shtml
Purchases: http://somervilletheatreonline.com
Click 'concerts & events'
For T@F assistance: info@theatreatfirst.org or 1-888-874-7554

Meet Lesley Anne: A Princess with a song in her heart
and a sword in her hand

Written as a screenplay, this musical, like Les, is destined for
grander stages. Watch www.NeverAfterMusical.com for developments!

This Theatre@First program is supported in part by a grant from the
Somervillle Arts Council, a local agency supported by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council.