This week on Great Art at Eastern, Jeff Gentry talks with Jason Paulk of the ENMU Choirs about the upcoming New York Polyphony concert taking place on October 24th.
Jason talks about what gets him excited about working with three choirs. "I love rehearsals even more than performing. Because you see all the learning happening in rehearsals, see lightbulbs going off, you see Concepts being taken in, and Students really becoming professional musicians During rehearsals."
With the concert taking place on Thursday night with the New York Polyphony, selections from the 16th century will be presented. The New York Polyphony specializes in high renaissance and Medieval choral music. "-Specifically, the thing that I am most excited about is our collaboration with chamber singers singing Gregorio Allegri's Miserere Mei Deus. This piece is famous in music history because it was closely guarded in the Sistine Chapel. So, in Catholic circles, for example, no one would have ever heard this music outside of the Sistine chapel. Until a very young Mozart at the age of eleven went to a service in the Sistine Chapel. He heard them sing this twelve-minute Motet, walked out of the church, and transcribed it all from memory." Jason states as he goes more in-depth. "So, this particular piece is made up of three performing forces: which is a quartet, who will be three other guys from New York Polyphony in the balcony with Dr. Stephanie Beinlich singing the soprano solo, and she has to soar to these high Cs In the stratosphere., Chris Robert, who is The tenor who will be singing chant from the other side of the balcony in Buchanan hall. And the chamber singers will Sing a five-voice choir from the stage. And will alternate verses of this piece." These songs along with new pieces will be performed that night.
"They specialize in renaissance and medieval music as well as newly composed music. And I think that is one of the interesting things about this program is that you have some very very interesting early music like the Miserere mei Deus. But you are also going hear some compositions by Ivan Moody, Conte Cum Conte Carrom 1, and Conte Cum Conte Carrom 2, and they have been composed in the last few years." All done in the Acapella style.
New York Polyphony will have music for sale at the concert. Their Lamentationes CD with music by Pedro de Escobar, Francisco Guerrero, and Franscisco de Penalosa that was released back in September.
The choirs are planning a tour of Western Europe and North Africa. "We are (planning on) touring to Spain, Portugal, morocco in May, and we have raised about $3000 So far to offset some of the cost to our students. We have about 50 students traveling. If anyone is interested and donate to the cause, they can reach out to the foundation. The ENMU Foundation. Or me Jason Polk In the music department. I'd be glad to connect you with the right people to help."
New York Polyphony in Concert with ENMU Chamber Singers and Stephanie Beinlich
Jason Paulk, conductor
Buchanan Hall, ENMU Music Building (MB)
Thursday, October 24th, 2019 at 7 p.m.