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Santa Fe Women's Ensemble celebrates 'Winter Lights' with holiday concerts
The Santa Fe Women鈥檚 Ensemble will perform 鈥淲inter Lights.鈥�
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The radiance of light helps support us all during this dark time of year.
Kicking off their 43rd season, the Santa Fe Women鈥檚 Ensemble is preparing for 鈥淲inter Lights,鈥� a series of holiday concerts celebrating candlelight, moonlight and spiritual light.
Slated for Sunday, Dec. 10, Tuesday, Dec. 12, Saturday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 17, at the city鈥檚 First Presbyterian Church, the shows feature inspirational music from new and old composers.
Joined by percussionist Diana Sharpe, along with ensemble pianist Bill Epstein, the program features exuberant pieces, including new settings of the 鈥淗uron Carol鈥� and the Spanish carol 鈥淩iu, Riu, Chiu.鈥� More contemplative pieces include settings of texts by civil rights leader Harold Thurman with 鈥淚 Will Light Candles This Christmas鈥� and 鈥淭he Work of Christmas,鈥� and May Sarton鈥檚 haunting 鈥淒ecember Moon.鈥�
Jumping back eras, the group will sing 鈥淕loria in altissimis Deo鈥� by Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, a Milanese nun (1602-c. 1677). Her piece tells the story of the birth of Christ using the voices of the angels and shepherds.
Not forgetting the days of Hanukkah, the ensemble will perform 鈥淓ight Days of Lights.鈥� Joan Szymoko, one of the ensemble鈥檚 favorite composers, will contribute a rollicking version of 鈥淩ed and Green,鈥� adding a Celtic flair to the concert.
In 1981, Sakina von Briesen brought nine women together to sing Benjamin Britten鈥檚 鈥淐eremony of Carols鈥� at the Chapel of Loretto, the first performance there after the Sisters of Loretto retired. Under the direction of Suzanne MacLean and accompanied by harpist Rosalind Simpson, the Santa Fe Women鈥檚 Ensemble was born.
The ensemble performs music from many centuries and cultures from a limited collection of choral music written specifically for treble voices. As part of its mission, SFWE鈥檚 contribution to the arts is commissioning new music, with 42 premieres in 43 seasons. The group received the 2012 Chorus America/ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award, giving national recognition to its efforts to expand the repertoire of women鈥檚 choral music.
