These events are fundraisers for UUCMC!

Some people don’t know that!  We, the PAS Committee, put this season together so that you can contribute financially to our wonderful community and at the same time experience something cultural and uplifting for the whole family.

 

 

 

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Saturday, April 24, 2004, 8 PM.   TROUBADOURS

Bring us rollicking songs, historical ballads, Scottish and Irish dance music, and sea chanties from Colonial Williamsburg, where they perform at historic venues, 
taverns and festivals.  Brian Forsmanm, award-winning Scottish fiddler, and David Niebuhr, singer, guitarist, bring historic music alive in an interactive evening. They have performed on television and at the White House Ellipse and Capitol Building.

Sunday, March 28, 2004, 4 pm.  HONORING WOMEN COMPOSERS

CONCERT HONORS WOMEN COMPOSERS
     by Linda DiNicola

Honoring women composers is something that has become a passion for pianist/lecturer Elaine Vander Plate Held. She's been involved with their music for over 20 years and has been actively promoting this undervalued music for the past five years.

"I want to write women back into musical history," Held said.

An accomplished pianist, Held created the Honoring Women Composers concerts five years ago and is about to present the fifth annual concert at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Lincroft on March 28 at 4 p.m. This year, Held will not be the only pianist playing the music of these remarkable women. The program also includes two men who will be playing compositions by women. Saxophonist, Scott Wright will be accompanied by Pianist Mark Cook. In addition, two local opera singers, Marybeth Hazel, a mezzo soprano and Terri Thomas, soprano, will perform duets and solo pieces with Held's accompaniment.

Another exciting addition to the program will be special guest, Sylvia Glickman, a composer, author and publisher of Hildegard Publishing. Glickman will talk about her life as a woman composer and her creation of a publishing company that only publishes works by women composers. "We are so excited that she is coming. She's a fascinating, and very talented woman," Held said.

After the introduction by Glickman, Held will play the composer's composition, written in 1990, called Dances and Entertainments which includes Dance of the Earth, Dance of Air, Dance of Fire and Dance of Water, as well as Entertainment ñ Sarabande, Entertainment ñ Waltz and Entertainment ñ Rag. "This music is quite contemporary," Held said, adding, "During one of the movements, you strike the strings with a mallet."

In addition, The concert will include the works of Margaret Ruthven Lang whose life spanned the years 1867-1972. "Her Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures are short and easy, a perfect compliment to the more complex work of Marion Bauer, who was composing around the same time, Held said, adding, that she plans to include the pictures, by Edward Lear, in the program. Hazel will sing the lyrics and Held will be at the piano for both pieces.

Other composers include Fernande Decruck, "Sonata in C# Major" (1808-1836) Wright and Cook performing; Maria Malibran (1808-1836) Il Mattino (The Morning), "Le Prisonnier;" Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) "Habanera" and "Separation," performed by Thomas and Hazel with Held at the piano; Marion Bauer (1882-1955), "Four Songs" with Hazel and Held; and Florence Smith Price (1887-1953) "Piano Sonata in E Minor" Held.

Held has a Master of Church Music degree from Westminster Choir College in Princeton with triple performance majors in piano, organ and choral conducting. She lives in Bradley Beach and is the Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Lincroft. She has been on sabbatical since last summer and is hard at work creating a CD of the music of women composers.

Marybeth Hazel, a finalist in the Operafest! of New Hampshire Vocal Competition and a winner of the Garden state Opera Competition, is known in Monmouth County for her work with the Metro Lyric Opera of New Jersey. A Red Bank resident, she has sung with a number of Opera Companies, not only in New Jersey, but in New York and Massachusetts.

Terri Thomas is on the vocal faculty of Westminster Conservatory of Music. Her opera appearances include the New Jersey State Opera, Monmouth Symphony Orchestra & American Musical Theater, The Cadenza Duo, Brandenburg Opera NYC, English Country Opera with the Edinburgh String Quartet in Scotland and as a soloist with West Side Opera NYC. She lives in Asbury Park.

Scott Wright, Long Branch, holds a master's degree in classical saxophone performance from Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore. He has performed throughout the United States, Russia and Eastern Europe. As a member of the Pacific Saxophone Quartet, he has also competed in international chamber music competitions and has reached the finals of the Fischoff, Carmel and Coleman competitions.

Mark Cook, lives in Tinton Falls. He is the minister of music at Manasquan United Methodist Church and has a master's degree in organ performance from Rice University, Houston and a bachelor's in sacred music and organ from Centenary college of Louisiana, Shreveport. Cook has performed throughout the United States and Europe as an accompanist and soloist.

On-site child care will be provided for this event.  Refreshments will be served after the concert at the Meeting House, 1475 West Front Street, Lincroft. The suggested donation is $15 for adults; $10 for students and seniors and free for children under 12 years. For tickets call the Meeting House at 732-747-0707.