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H O U S T O N E A R L Y M U S I C
Featuring chant to chamber music -- the best of the past
http://tayara.com/earlymusic
Ticket Reservations & Information Line: 713.432.1744
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Our Next Concert
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Friday, April 5, 2002
8:00 p.m.
St. Anne Catholic Church
2140 Westheimer

Also
Saturday, April 6, 2002
1:30 and 3:00 p.m.
Audrey Jones Beck Building
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonet


THE HARP CONSORT

directed by
Andrew Lawrence-King – Baroque Harp

MISSA MEXICANA

Houston Early Music is pleased to present the renowned early music ensemble,
The Harp Consort, in a concert of
17th century music and dance from Spain and Mexico. The ensemble’s
director, Baroque harpist Andrew Lawrence-King, is a creative and inspiring
baroque conductor, recognized as one of the world’s leading early music
artists. He will lead the group of 11 singers and instrumentalists in a
performance which takes as its center piece Juan Gutierrez de Padilla’s
Missa ego flos Campi. Spanish-born Padilla became maestro de capilla of
Mexico’s Puebla Cathedral in 1629. By 1645, Padilla’s ensemble of singers
and instrumentalists was comprised of 28 men and 14 boys, and had become the
finest choir in all Spain’s foreign dominions.

The accepted idiom for 17th century church music in the New World was
modeled after the renaissance polyphony of the Spanish golden age, the siglo
de oro. Even in this formal style, Padilla’s music breathes the spirit of
dance. Details of individual dance-types are preserved in collections for
guitar or harp by such composers as Santiago de Murcia, and Lucas Ruiz de
Ribayaz. Most of these books begin with the xácara,, the most famous of
dances from the back streets of Madrid. This 17th-century street music
became fashionable even in high society. In Padilla’s Christmas
villancicos the text draws the listeners’ attention to the secular origins
of the music: “on with the xácara!”, “dance the canario and the villano”,
“celebrate with the guaracha”. Baroque guitarist and dancer, Steve Player
will demonstrate the secular dances and the ensemble will perform
villancicos based on the dance rhythms. The villancico texts represent the
vernacular speech-patterns of stock characters drawn from the many ethnic
groups that populated nueva españa: haughty Portuguese, rugged Basques,
bucolic peasants – the villanos, cheeky street urchins, indios mixing broken
Spanish with their native Náhuatl tongue, exuberant black dancers from
Guinea, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The Harp Consort is a group of musicians who specialize in improvisation
within the various styles of baroque and medieval music. The ensemble’s
repertoires range from solo songs to baroque opera, from medieval drama to
new music for early instruments, from the delicacy of instrumental chamber
music to the exuberance of Irish dance. The Harp Consort’s debut CD, ‘Luz y
norte’ (17th century dance music from Spain and South America) received
world-wide recognition, gaining a Diapason D’Or in France, Record of the
Year from Amadeus Magazine in Italy, and topping the classical charts for
five weeks in Australia.

The ensemble will perform on instruments copied from those of the period;
baroque harp, baroque guitar, chamber organ, sackbut and a variety of
percussion instruments.

Prior to the concert, at 7:00p.m. in the St Basil hall at St Anne Church,
Beth Schneider, Education Director at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will
present an Early Conversations lecture entitled The Grandeur of Viceregal
Mexico and show slides of the art exhibit currently on view at the MFAH.

On Saturday, April 6, 2002, the Harp Consort and dancer Steven Player, will
perform two twenty-minute family concerts (free with admission to the
Museum) in the Cullen Atrium, The Audrey Jones Beck Building, Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston at 1:30p.m. and 3:30p.m.

Tickets for Friday night’s concert are $25 general admission, $20 for
seniors and students, and may be purchased at the door or by calling
713.432.1744. There will be no charge for children 12 years and under.


For more about the program, see
http://www.tayara.com/earlymusic/2001/harp1.htm


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For information or Tickets, call 713-432-1744
Single tickets: $25 standard, $20 seniors/students
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Our web site http://tayara.com/earlymusic describes the season's offerings
and is a timely source for detailed information on concerts and events
throughout the year. If you would like to receive our season program printed
brochure, please email or call us. Season subscriptions (seven concerts) are
$140 standard, $100 seniors/students. A three-concert mini-pass is available
for $60/$50.


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UPCOMING EVENTS
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THE TITANS SPEAK

PLEASE NOTE - DUE TO CONDITIONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
FREIBURG BAROQUE ORCHESTRA HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND
DATE. WE SINCERELY REGRET ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT THIS CHANGE CAUSES OUR
PATRONS. ALL TICKETS TO THE ORIGINAL DATE AND LOCATION WILL BE HONORED.

Freiburg Baroque Orchestra with Emma Kirkby
8:00 p.m., Friday, April 26, 2002
St. Anne Catholic Church, 2140 Westheimer


Two great titans of music—Bach and Handel—are brought to vivid life by
electrifying performances by two of the international stars of the early
music arena: the phenomenal Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and the incomparable
Emma Kirkby. We’ve brought them back for you because of overwhelming demand.
Don’t miss this stellar evening!

Early Conversations Lecture Series - A Baroque Detective Tale, Dr. Christoph
Wolff
7:00 p.m.

A priceless manuscript collection disappears during wartime, whom do you
call? Internationally esteemed Bach scholar, Dr. Christoph Wolff details how
he found the famous Sing-Akademie archive after years of detective work.


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HoustonEarlyMusicTalk Discussion Group
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Discuss, feedback, and interact with other early music patrons.

HoustonEarlyMusicTalk is the Internet discussion group for patrons of
Houston Early Music. All persons interested in early music in Houston are
welcome to join and participate. Members of this group may engage in email
and web discussion with the Houston Early Music board, staff, and
volunteers, or share information among HEM patrons. Patrons are welcome to
provide feedback on concerts or any other comments on Houston Early Music's
activities. You are also welcome to exchange information relating to the
early music community in Houston with other patrons. For example, persons
looking to buy/sell musical instruments, seeking music instructors, or
offering news of early music events are welcome to share information here.

You may join by sending a blank email message to
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You may also subscribe or modify your subscription options at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HoustonEarlyMusicTalk



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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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If you would like to help bring the joy of early music to Houston, and to
get to know the folks behind the scenes (we're a bunch of totally fabulous
guys), please call our phone line 713-432-1744 or email us at
earlymusic@.... Our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you to find
ways you can get involved. It takes more than excellent musicians to make
the music: it won't happen without the invaluable effort of ushers, envelope
stuffers, concert assistants, ticket takers, reception hosts ... and many
more people just like you. If you love the music and have some time to give,
please let us know.


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ABOUT HOUSTON EARLY MUSIC
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Houston Early Music is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to further
the appreciation and performance of early music of the European traditions
and other world cultures, presenting internationally famous musicians
playing original instruments in historically-informed performances. In
addition we reach out to new and diverse audiences through an educational
outreach program on the elementary, secondary, college, and community
levels.

You may reach us at

Houston Early Music
P.O. Box 271193
Houston TX 77277-1193
Phone 713-432-1744
email earlymusic@...
web http://tayara.com/earlymusic/


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