Concerts
Boston Harmony World Music Choir Performances
May 2-3, 11, 2008
Boston Harmony, the unique Boston area world music choir led by Patty Cuyler and Larry Gordon, presents two concerts:
- Friday, May 2, 8 PM at First Parish Church, 24 Vernon Street, Framingham MA
- Saturday, May 3, 8 PM at Unitarian Church, 1326 Washington Street, West Newton MA.
- May 11, Mothers Day, 3:00 PM at the Unitarian Church, Montpelier, VT.
Admission, at the door, is $10, $5 for students and seniors. For further information call (978) 371-7317.
The May 11, Mother's Day performance is a joint concert with Montpelier World Music Choir This Montpelier choir is also led by Larry and Patty. The groups will perform both separately and together.
The concert program presents South African songs and dances, traditional music from Caucasus Georgia, Corsica, Sardinia and Bulgaria, Italian renaissance laudae, and American shape-note and gospel songs.
Now in its third season, the choir of 30 mixed adult and teen singers is particularly notable for its ability to radically change its sound as it ranges through these different genres: from the dark and sonorous Georgian timbre to the ultra-bright Bulgarian hard-voice, from the krumhorn-like buzz of Sardinian singing to the rich and mellifluous South African sound.
Directors Gordon and Cuyler are also the directors of the larger organization Village Harmony which sponsors singing camps and workshops throughout the world which study traditional polyphonic singing styles first hand. Many of the Boston Harmony singers have participated in these camps.
Cuyler says, “In all the work we do we strive to reach the essence of the musical traditions we study and perform; not just the melodies and the harmonies, but the distinctive singing timbres, the body language, the sound of the language itself, and the place of the music within the culture. In most cases we have sung these songs alongside native singers in these countries, and we try to share this visceral understanding of the music in our teaching.”
Gordon adds, “We are really pleased with the sound that Boston Harmony has developed this year. It is a very adventurous and plucky bunch of singers, completely unafraid to try new sounds and new ways of using their voices.”
The program includes:
- A set of lesser known shape-note songs drawn from Northern Harmony, Missouri Harmony and Sacred Harp
- Traditional three part harmonies from Georgia, including heroic and feasting songs and an Easter liturgical hymn.
- Three part choral arrangements of traditional Bulgarian village songs
- A folk song and two rousing church songs from South Africa, in four-voiced call and response form with dancing in rhythmic counterpoint to the music.
- Devotional songs from 15th century Florence and 16th century Venice.
- Hymns to the Virgin from Corsica and Sardinia
- Daniel saw the stone, Cuyler’s gospel arrangement based on several 1930’s gospel quartet recordings/ Boston Harmony is seeking new members in all voice parts for their next season beginning in September.
More information available at the concerts or, online: http://www.villageharmony.org/about/boston_harmony.html