Melodia Women’s Choir of NYC Presents “The Poet’s Song”

New York, NY, March 22, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Melodia Women’s Choir led by Artistic Director Cynthia Powell heralds the poetry and music of spring with "The Poet’s Song," a lyrical journey from William Shakespeare to William Blake to jazz legend Duke Ellington. Anchoring the concert is the world premiere of “Full Fathom Five,” composed by Belize-born, London-based Errollyn Wallen, whom the "UK Observer" calls a “renaissance woman of contemporary British music.” Wallen’s unique vision for piano, flute, clarinet, percussion, and women’s voices is a setting of text from Shakespeare’s "The Tempest" and is dedicated to the memory of Nelson Mandela (1918-2013).

Continuing the celebration of Shakespeare 450 is Emma Lou Diemer’s “Three Shakespeare Madrigals.” Also on the program is “Piping Down the Valleys Wild” by Herbert Howells (1892-1983) for flute, piano, and women’s choir, with poetry by William Blake (1757-1827). The English poet Edward Lear’s (1812-1888) humorous nonsense poems set the tone for William Mathia’s playful “Learsongs” for voices and piano, while Lear’s contemporary, poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), lends her text to “Echo,” by Eleanor Daley (1907-2003). Irrepressible mid-century jazz standards “Come Rain or Shine,” “All the Things You Are,” “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” and “Satin Doll” complete the tour.

Performing will be award-winning pianist Taisya Pushkar (taisiyapushkar.com), accomplished flutist Nathalie Joachim (flutronix.com), clarinetist and saxophonist Debra Kreisberg (debrakreisberg.com), and percussionists Michelle Cozzi and Chihiro Shibayama (chihiroshibayama.com).

Details
Sat, May 3 @ 7:30 PM
Holy Apostles Church
296 Ninth Avenue
Chelsea, NYC, New York

Sun, May 4 @ 4:00 PM
DiMenna Center for Classical Music
450 W. 37th Street
Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, New York

Tickets $20 advance/ $25 door ($15 adv. students and seniors)
Available through Brown Paper Tickets at
www.melodiawomenschoir.org or at (800) 838-3006

About Melodia
The 28 voices strong Melodia Women’s Choir has established a reputation as the premier women’s choir of NYC through more than a decade of adventurous, fresh and wide-ranging repertoire that explores rarely heard, stylistically diverse and often original and debut works. Called “riveting” by the New York Times and hailed by composers such as Meredith Monk, Melodia is committed to nurturing emerging women composers through commissions, residencies and performances. Founded by Executive Director Jenny Clarke in 2003, Melodia collaborates with and supports women composers, musicians and performers across the musical spectrum. melodiawomenschoir.org

About Cynthia Powell
Cynthia Powell, founding conductor and Artistic Director, celebrates her eleventh season with Melodia Women’s Choir. In addition to her positions as Director of Music and Organist at West End Collegiate Church in NYC, and Organist/Choirmaster of Temple Sinai in Tenafly, New Jersey, she serves as the Artistic Director of the Stonewall Chorale, the nation’s first LGBT chorus. Powell has performed at Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney Museum with composer Meredith Monk, and has toured the U.S. and Europe. She has conducted many major works for chorus and orchestra.

About Errollyn Wallen
A respected a contemporary composer, and singer-songwriter, the Ivor Novello Award recipient has written commissions for the BBC, Royal Opera House and composes across genres from R&B to opera to choral to TV and film scores. errollynwallen.com

About Shakespeare 450
Month-long worldwide celebrations mark the 450-year anniversary of the famous English bard, William Shakespeare, born April 25, 1564.