 A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to perform two of the three little-known songs from Douglas Moore’s song cycle Three Sonnets of John Donne. Originally, I had prepared the entire set for the March Contemporaries | Contemporary concerts. A last-minute change in programming found me striking them in favor of some world premiere settings of John Donne, instead. So it was wonderful serendipity that another door opened, giving me a chance to sing them for a grateful audience.
Preparing the program notes was a wonderful study in research. You see, there was no information on these songs to be had. Anywhere. Not on the Internet, not in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, not even in the score (aside from the original date of publication and the name of the soprano to whom the songs are dedicated). In fact, the cycle is even out of print. Where did I find it, you ask? It … Read more »
As many of you know, this past weekend, I performed in benefit concert Scared for Good, which raised funds for FriendshipWorks, Habitat for Humanity Haiti, Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts, Women’s Lunch Place, and YMCA Training, Inc. While I’ve never performed anything composed by Richard Wagner before, I was happy to make my first attempt for a good cause–or in this case, five. To my pleasant surprise, today, someone emailed me a link to a review of the concert by blogger A Proper Bostonian. While I had a great time, it is nice to read others enjoyed the concert just as much. The paragraph pertaining to the “Ride of the Valkyries” was appropriately humorous:
Finally, he [organist Harry Huff] pulled out a horned helmut for Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. Having spent too much of my life managing a well-bred chamber-music series, I always think of this piece as Kill the Wabbit. Usually it’s instrumental in the versions we hear on TV and elsewhere; we don’t get to hear the Valkyries’ vocals. But four black-robed and horn-helmeted sopranos marched stone-faced to the altar and gave us their battle cry. Three of them were robust and looked the part. The fourth was petite, with short braided pigtails under her helmet. But her fierce expression — as the quartet tried repeatedly to burst our eardrums — made hers the scariest song of the evening.
Can you guess who the one with the “short braided pigtails” and the “fierce expression” was? I’m not telling.
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 I’ve recently been employed as a stand-in on the set of a new ABC drama, Body of Proof. If one is offered the opportunity of stand-in work, I highly recommend accepting it. True, on-camera time is not a benefit, but there are so many other rewards that come as a result.
Working as part of “team 2″ enables one to have a wonderfully in-depth on-set experience, learning the various rhythms that make filming so exciting and preparing one for the day that principal work is on schedule. Unlike film sets, television sets are fast-paced, allowing for approximately one episode a week to be declared “in the can.” A constant and keen listening ear is key, not only to be aware of those necessary times to be quiet, but to learn the standard calls and anticipate those moments when stand-ins will be needed. Stand-in work also enables one to get to know the working styles of the crew and the director. … Read more »
This past week I was fortunate to perform with friends Christian Coleman’s chamber work “fALATIMI” as part of Afternoon Concert 18 which was supported in part by a grant from the Brookline Commission for the Arts, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Japanese Association of Greater Boston Women’s Group. Some may recall that this work is the soundtrack for short film Fate Scores and I had the good fortune to sing on the original recording. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the rehearsal and June 6 performance. There are more in the fALATIMI flickr album. Thank you to everyone who came out on that stormy, steamy Sunday afternoon! Your support at our performance is very much … Read more »
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