Friday, September 08, 2017

Hildegard's Ordo Virtutem

I should have run this last month when San Francisco Renaissance Voice started a series of performances of Hildegard of Bingen's masterpiece, Ordo Virtutem, but...anyway, the last concert is coming up, and here is full info about it.

WHO:  San Francisco Renaissance Voices (Katherine McKee, Music Director) with guest artists Deepak Ram (bansuri), Diana Rowan (Celtic harp) and Todd Jolly (percussion)
WHAT:  Hildegard's "Ordo Virtutum"
WHEN/WHERE: 
Sunday, September 17, 4:00 pm - Church of the Advent of Christ the King, 251 Fell Street, San Francisco
WEBSITE:  www.SFRVoices.org
TICKETS:  $30 general admission, $25 student/senior - at the door 1/2 hour before each concert or on-line at the above website.


San Francisco Renaissance Voices (Katherine McKee, Music Director) acclaimed East-Indian infused production ("Hildegard's music rang out anew," ... Los Angeles Times) of "Ordo Virtutum" (The Play of the Virtues) by the medieval mystic nun Hildegard von Bingen kicks off our 14th Season! If you missed our August performances of this magical piece here's your chance to experience it (or experience it again) performed on the actual feast day of St. Hildegard. One of the earliest extant liturgical musical dramas that provided the basis for the art form we now know as opera, "Ordo Virtutum" tells the story of the challenges of The Human Soul (Anime) as she is guided by The Virtues led by their queen Humility, to obtain wholeness of the spirit. Our stellar singers and dancers will be joined by our returning original-cast, internationally-renowned instrumentalists, Deepak Ram (bansuri) and Diana Rowan (Celtic harp), and local favorite, Todd Jolly (percussion).

We're especially excited to once again be joined by our original instrumental cast,  the internationally acclaimed, Deepak Ram, bansuri master and Diana Rowan, Celtic harper, and local favorite Todd Jolly, percussionist, for our revival of this production.

Deepak Ram is a versatile artist who is well known for his evocative performances in traditional North Indian (Hindustani) classical music, his collaborations with musicians of other genres, his innovative compositions and for his excellence as a teacher, and is considered one of the great bansuri masters performing throughout the world today.

An award-winning musical artist performing worldwide, Diana Rowan’s playing and compositions have unusual power and beauty. She integrates global musical traditions with fluency and reverence. Born in Ireland and raised the child of an Irish diplomat, Diana has traveled, lived and performed on six continents. As a natural outgrowth of this inspiration, her music interweaves global music, art, spirituality and mythology.

San Francisco Renaissance Voices Emeritus Music Director, Todd Jolly,  is a percussionist, a published composer and arranger, and an ordained Presbyterian minister, he also teaches music at Stuart Hall for Boys, third through eighth grade, and directs two boy choirs.  Once a member of the directing staff of the internationally renowned San Francisco Boys Chorus, he appears on occasion with them still.  During the fall of 2004 Mr. Jolly was Composer-in-Residence at Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, composing two commissioned pieces, To Be Read at a Funeral and The Oath, which were subsequently performed at the school.
Completing their 13th Season, San Francisco Renaissance Voices under the direction of Katherine McKee is the San Francisco Bay Area's is consistently recognized for our imaginative programming as the Bay Area’s only professional, mixed-voice ensemble dedicated to performing and exploring the a cappella choral music of the Renaissance, particularly lesser-known and rarely-performed works, as well as works outside of the traditional European canon.  We have been featured in The San Francisco Chronicle, Newsday, USA Today and the national magazine Early Music America, and in July 2009 San Francisco Classical Voice proclaimed us “ … a standout within the crowded field of Bay Area early music ensembles.”  In 2010 SFWeekly selected us as “Best Classical Music” in San Francisco.  Most recently, The San Francisco Examiner exclaimed of our performances of the Medieval, The Play of Daniel“One could not have asked for a more entertaining spectacle ... a tour de force.”  

No comments: