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Joy and resilience: Santa Fe Women's Ensemble gives voice to uplifting pieces
The Santa Fe Women鈥檚 Ensemble will sing songs of joy and resilience on Sunday, April 14, and April 21.
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The Santa Fe Women鈥檚 Ensemble will sing songs of joy and resilience on Sunday, April 14, and April 21.
Slated for Santa Fe鈥檚 First Presbyterian Church, the concert will feature songs from the 12th century as well as more contemporary sounds.
The program of uplifting pieces encourages listeners to stay strong in the face of adversity and tap into the joy within. The musical styles will range from lush harmonies to rhythmic extravaganzas.
鈥淓ach musical selection came from a time of hardship and challenge,鈥� said music director Linda Raney.
Hildegard von Bingen lived from circa 1098-1179, when women鈥檚 lives were restricted to marriage or the church. Known as the first woman composer, she became a German Benedictine abbess and polymath who was active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages. She expressed her unique poetic voice in 鈥淐aritas Abundat (Charity abounds toward all, most exalted from the depths).鈥�
鈥淚n the church, she鈥檚 able to use her musical gifts,鈥� Raney said.
Abbie Betinis鈥� 鈥渁ural origami鈥� drives 鈥淎 Blessing of Cranes.鈥�
鈥淚t was inspired by a young women injured by Hiroshima in 1945,鈥� Raney said. 鈥淪he was in her early teen years when she developed leukemia. A friend visited her and brought her a paper gold-painted origami crane. Legend has it if you fold 1,000 you get a wish. She wished they would write 鈥榩eace鈥� on their wings and fly over the world.鈥�
Philip Silvey鈥檚 鈥淐olorful鈥� opens with 鈥淏e colorful, Be brave, Once in a while misbehave (a little), Be colorful, please do be colorfully you.鈥�
The composer teaches at the Eastman School of Music.
The ensemble also will perform their commissioned piece, 鈥淭he Voyage鈥� by Linda Studley and Canadian composer Marie-Claire Saindon, in a world premiere.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very inspiring piece,鈥� Raney said. 鈥淭he music fits the text so well. We did some music of hers during the pandemic. She had a beautiful setting of words for the Virgin Mary by three poets.鈥�
The ensemble will be joined by Dana Winograd on cello, Diana Sharpe on percussion, Dave Anderson on flute and pianist Bill Epstein.
