Continuing their decade-long collaboration, Hesperus and the Western Wind will present an eclectic combination of nine voices and more than 30 medieval and folk instruments in a multicultural program at Ithaca College on Friday, January 31. Scheduled for 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall Auditorium, the concert is the second in the School of Music's "World Wide Celebs" series, which pays tribute to the World Wide Web phenomenon.
Entitled "Laugh, Cry, Dance, Sing," the joint program will include American ballads, English Renaissance songs, dance tunes from both sides of the Atlantic, American devotional songs, American humor, blues, and jazz selections.
Widely
acclaimed for its innovative, historically accurate programs of music from
eight centuries and four continents, Hesperus is an ensemble in residence
at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and
a visiting ensemble at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Hesperus has been featured
on National Public Radio broadcasts and tours nationally and internationally.
Featured at the Spoleto and Berkeley Festivals, the group recently completed
a tour of the Far East for the United States Information Agency.
An
internationally acclaimed vocal sextet, the Western Wind has devoted itself
since 1969 to exploring the beauty and virtuosity of a cappella music through
a repertoire ranging from medieval carols to barbershop quartets. Noted
for its NPR holiday specials, the ensemble has performed at venues ranging
from the Kennedy Center to Carnegie Hall and has appeared overseas at the
Rome Opera and Venice's legendary opera house, La Fenice. Winner of the
1987-88 ASCAP Chamber Music American Award for Adventurous Programming
of Contemporary Music, the Western Wind has also been active in arts education,
presenting innovative choral singing programs in the New York City public
schools, and giving master classes and workshops nationally.
Tickets are $7 for children, senior citizens, and Ithaca College students; $12 for Ithaca College alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, Friends of Ithaca College, and other students; and $14 for the general public. Tickets are available at the door, Rebop Records, Tapes, and Compact Discs (Collegetown) and the Ticket Center at Clinton House.
Prior to the concert, Hesperus will be presenting a lecture-demonstration at 4:00 p.m. in Ford Hall Auditorium. It is free and open to the public. Contact the Ithaca College School of Music at 274-3171 for more information.