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Our next concert is this week: March 22, 24, and 26, 2006
For this concert, we return to St. Luke's in Glenside, and the Fleisher Art Memorial. We are excited to be performing for the first time at the First Presbyterian Church at 21st and Walnut Streets. You may order tickets thoorugh our online system.

A message from Artistic Director Robert A.M. Ross
In the summer of 2004 I had the privilege of attending (what was to be the last) Oxford Summer Institute for composers at Lehigh University. It was a magnificently collegial and intense experience, centering on
composing a new work from scratch for chorus in the space of 3-4 days, coached and supported by Steven Sametz and the Princeton Singers, a master composer/teacher in residence (Zhou Long in this case), and, happily, the community of composers in attendance. Works composed over the week which were deemed worthy by the faculty and staff were performed on the week's closing concert by the Princeton Singers.

The project I set out to accomplish began with extensive reading of poetry prior to arriving. I discovered a little-known sonnet by Henry David Thoreau which contains immediate parallels with Psalm 131 ("Lord, Lord, my heart is not haughty. . ."). So I went into the week with the idea of a work for soloist (singing the Psalm text in Hebrew) interspersed with the choir singing Thoreau's text. When we each described our plans in a roundtable discussion the first day in, my colleagues suggested that the psalm be presented in both Hebrew and English so as to make the Hebrew more immediately accessible to the listener. Hence, I now was to write a work for double chorus with solo on this double text--more work than I'd bargained for!

As it happened, the muse turned out to be more than cooperative: the work was written in a single 4-hour sitting and engraved in another 4 hours. The piece was one of the first to be read through and was well
received by the singers and composers. However, the work did not make the final cut—in the judgment of the institute staff, the piece "did not hang together." Hence, aside from the taped read-downs of the piece during the workshop, the work has not yet been performed.

I have been scrutinizing the piece for well over a year and a half, and, aside from some small scale revisions, I have come to the conclusion that what's needed is a second opinion--in fact, as many second opinions as can be gathered. Therefore, we shall present this new work in two different forms on the first half of this next concert. We shall open with my settings of Psalm 131 and Thoreau's Nature as separate pieces, to be followed by Randall Thompson's complete Frostiana, and then we shall present the combined/juxtaposed settings of Psalm 131 and Thoreau's Nature as originally conceived (under the title Of Nature and Humility). Then we shall ask you to vote on which version of this new work you prefer. We shall tabulate and report the results from each concert and then report the full results in a forthcoming newsletter. Come and be a part of this new and interactive concert experience!

This month's featured singer: David Sharp, tenor

David Sharp, tenor, is a graduate of the Temple University College of Music where he studied voice with John Parrella. After teaching 24 years for the School District of Philadelphia, he is collecting his pension as he pursues a career as a professional singer. He is currently tenor soloist at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Chestnut Hill and is in his seventh year there. David sings professionally with Voces Novae et Antique, Philadelphia Singers Chorale, The Princeton Singers, Vox Ama Deus, The Skylark Ensemble and at Old York Road Temple Beth Am.

In addition to being a soloist with many these groups he has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Chamber Chorus, the Choral Society of Montgomery County, and the Ambler Choral Society. In 2004 he was the “Steven Sametz Artist in Residence” at Lehigh University where he premiered a new work for tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra by Steven Sametz as well as being tenor soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Bethlehem.  David is also a committed recitalist.  He has performed song cycles by Gerard Finzi and Ralph Vaughan Williams as well a wide range of lieder by other composers and is noted for his interpretations of Welsh songs. Of his experience in VNA Dave says:

“I have been a member of Voces Novae et Antiquae for the past four years.  There are several things that I enjoy greatly when singing with VNA.  First and foremost is the high degree of musicianship that the group displays and maintains.  It is a choir that strives at all times for beautiful singing with special attention given to a clear precise blended sound. It is also a very friendly group to sing with.  There are no egos in evidence but rather a collegial sense of purpose which allows the clear precise blended sound to be achieved seemingly without effort.

I am also very fond of the repertoire that the group’s name implies.  I am most happy when I am singing the music of the Medieval, Renaissance and the Early Baroque periods but I also love twentieth century music and see many similarities between early and modern music including a liberal use of chant, smaller ensembles, and even dissonance. Along with the established repertoire that we sing is the enthusiasm I have for the new music we have performed.  It is always a thrill to work on music that nobody has ever heard. Bringing to life a composer’s work is a challenge and a joy.

Another aspect of VNA that brings me great joy is my long association with several of the members including Rob Ross.  I have been associated with some of them since our days at the Temple College of Music and I get a great “kick” out of that fact. I hope to have a long and fruitful tenure with VNA and I look forward many wonderful concerts.  I also hope to meet the members of the audience.  Please stay for a while after the concerts!”

Shop and support Voces Novae et Antiquae
The Voces Novae et Antiquae Online Store, at http://www.cafepress.com/VNAshop, features T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and other items with the VNA logo, as well as our exclusive “Real Men Sing Countertenor” design.

Amazon.com offers a wide selection of books, music, electronics, kitchen equipment, and other merchandise. The next time you shop at Amazon, go first to
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Click on the Amazon.com button, and you will be taken to Amazon’s home page. Continue shopping as usual. VNA will receive a percentage of the amount of your purchase.
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Click on the CD Universe button, and you will be taken to CD Universe’s home page. Continue shopping as usual. VNA will receive a percentage of the amount of your purchase.