Melodia Women's Choir of NYC "Questions About Angels" 10th Anniversary Concert

Church of the Holy Apostles
296 Ninth Avenue, NYC, New York
United States
+1 800-838-3006
http://www.melodiawomenschoir.org/

Melodia Women's Choir
Cynthia Powell, Artistic Director
Taisiya Pushkar (piano)
Haruka Fujii (marimba)
Barbara Merjan (percussion)
Wendy Powers (recorder)
Eleonore Oppenheim (bass)


Melodia Women's Choir of New York City, conducted by Artistic Director Cynthia Powell, celebrates a milestone 10th anniversary season with "Questions About Angels." This musical journey of rare and premiere works for women's voices brings together medieval, classical, sacred and contemporary in one exuberant concert showcasing the talent, diversity, and joy that has become the hallmark of Melodia Women's Choir this past decade.

At the center of Melodia's performance, and the inspiration behind the program's title, is the world premiere composition "Questions About Angels" for voices, marimba, piano and double bass by New York-based composer Sally Lamb McCune. Winner of the second Melodia Women's Composer Commission Competition, this work is in three movements and features a unique blend of angel-inspired poetry by the 15th-century mystic Bianco da Siena, English poet Christina Rossetti, American poet laureate Billy Collins, African-American spirituals and Shaker hymns.

"I'm thrilled to be conducting Sally Lamb McCune's new work for Melodia's 10th anniversary season," says Artistic Director Cynthia Powell. "The work starts in an ethereal mode and moves into a sultry jazz feeling in the second movement, set to one of my all time favorite poems by Billy Collins. The last movement is fast and exciting - her instrumental and vocal writing makes the piece virtually fly off the page." Powell, as founding conductor, celebrates her 10th anniversary with the group.

The varied program is rounded out with a sampling of songs in anticipation of the December holidays, including John Tavener's "The Lamb" with poetry by William Blake, and a collection sacred songs of early America arranged by the renowned women's a cappella group, Anonymous 4.

Closing the program is a selection of medieval works arranged for women's voices, recorders, violin and percussion arranged by the U.K.-based ensemble, The Mediaeval Baebes.

The program also features Allison Sniffin's "Punch!" a tour de force instrumental work featuring world-class marimba player Haruka Fujii and award-winning pianist Taisiya Pushkar.

Melodia Women's Choir has been called "riveting" by the New York Times and was named one of the top choirs in New York by Time Out New York. Melodia has been heard on radio stations WQXR and WNYC, seen on NBC-TV, and has performed at Symphony Space, Merkin Concert Hall, and the Surrogate's Courthouse as guest artists at the Women's History Month Celebration for the New York City Comptroller.

Sally Lamb McCune : Questions About Angels
John Tavener : The Lamb
Allison Sniffin : Punch!