Presented by La Señora Institute, Ray Dean Mize, Music Director
The
Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra String Quartet under the
direction of its Founder, pianist Professor Janise White, performed a
concert of the music of acclaimed African-American composer William Grant
Still, on July 15th in the La Señora Institute in Santa Monica Canyon.
The
Quartet musicians were Janise White, piano; Jeff Corwin, violin; Crystal
Alforque, violin; Cliff Goodrich, viola; Benton Preciado, cello; with
guest artist Gordon Halligan, flute.
The guest vocal artists were Zohar Hernandez-Carr, tenor; and Keith Borden, tenor; with piano accompanist Fides May Le Roy.
The
William Grant Still program included: 'Brambelele e espinin garda',
'Summerland', 'Blues from Lenox Avenue', 'The Quiet One', 'Weeping
Angel' (vocal), 'What Does He Know of Dreams' (vocal), 'Here's One'
(vocal), 'Sinner Please Don't Let this Harvest Pass' (vocal).
After
the intermission, 'Danzas de Panama' was introduced by Elisabeth Waldo
the ethnomusicologist who worked with Still on this very popular piece,
providing him with the themes from traditional music.
The highlight of the program was the Afro-American Chamber Music Society who played with seamless precision executing every nuance of the Latin rhythms in Danzas de
Panama bringing the audience to their feet. 'Summerland' was also
performed with graceful eloquence moving some audience members to
tears. The singers
framed the concert with renditions of operatic arias skilfully delivered
by Zohar-Hernandez Carr, tenor and spirited gospel interpretations of
Negro Spirituals by Keith Borden.
The
beautiful concert salon of the historic Mojica Hacienda of the La
Señora Research Institute in Santa Monica Canyon was filled to capacity
for this wonderful event which represented the scope of the work done by
the great African-American composer William Grant Still.
by: D'Lynn Waldron
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