It’s Operetta Tonight!
July 4, 2010
Plymouth Summer Music Series
Well maybe not tonight (depending on when you’re reading this) but on Tuesday evening, July 6th. I will be joined by local Twin Cities luminaries Maria Jette, Jim Bohn and Vern Sutton with Sonja Thompson on the piano as we present an evening of light operetta favorites.
What a Great Show Last Night…
May 15, 2010
Glorious Revolution Baroque semi-staged a production of Dido & Aeneas last night to a sold out crowd in a small and intimate theater space in downtown St. Paul. No sets, no fancy lights, but a wonderful small early music orchestra and very talented singers.
This was my first crack at The Sorceress and I loved the part. How often can you stand up there with a custom made staff, a green velvet cape, a wild wig (not to mention some witchy minions) and take total command? The intimacy of the space gave me the artistic freedom to interact with the audience and ‘stare’ them down as I made my way around the packed aisles.
I don’t have the opportunity to perform much in the theatrical arenas now that I sing primarily with The Rose Ensemble, so the chance to go all out with makeup, and push the character envelope was exhilarating. She’s a force to be reckoned with, The Sorceress, and I’m thrilled I finally got to step into this role.
Dido & Aeneas
May 5, 2010
The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas by Nathaniel Dance Holland (1735 – 1811)
Glorious Revolution Baroque presents this opera in an intimate setting at Studio Z in St. Paul, MN with David Douglass leading our esteemed instrumentalists. Join us for one night only, Friday May 16th for an evening of delightful music by some of the Twin Cities most talented musicians.
Recent Review of Candlelight Concerts
February 10, 2010
A very nice review on our last concert of the season. Thanks to David Hawley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press who also acknowledged the fact that he could not stay for the 2nd half of the performance due to a deadline.
Palestrina, composer
Legend has it that Palestrina, perhaps the most-recognized composer before Bach, dissuaded the 16th century Council of Trent from banning polyphony in church music by composing a six-voice Mass that was reverent and clear and — well, ethereal.
Renaissance Polyphony in Grand Style
February 4, 2010
Voces8
The Rose Ensemble
Rose Ensemble takes engaging turn at American folk hymns, carols
November 30, 2009
Let’s face it: History lessons aren’t always fun. Too often, an artistic event that strives toward historical accuracy leaves you feeling educated but not really entertained. Shoring up some cracks in your knowledge base can be worthwhile but seldom extremely enjoyable.
However, one of those infrequent occurrences happened Sunday afternoon when St. Paul-based early-music group the Rose Ensemble welcomed the Music in the Park Series back to its home neighborhood, the freshly repaved St. Anthony Park. But the chamber choir didn’t perform the music on which its reputation is based — motets and madrigals of the medieval and Renaissance eras — instead focusing upon 19th-century American folk hymns and carols, many of them rooted in the Shaker and shape-note traditions.
It may not have been right up the group’s stylistic alley, but it turned out to be a lot of fun, a combination of uplifting church service and holiday hootenanny. Performing in a venue ideally intimate for this music — the woody St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ — the group let reverence segue into celebration, unleashing their accompanying instrumentalists on tunes that sounded increasingly country, Celtic and Cajun as the concert went on.
The Great Minnesota Rose Ensemble Tour
November 10, 2009
The Greater Minnesota Rose Ensemble Tour will soon be upon us and I could use your help to make this tour a success. Since these concerts are self-produced, we do not have the luxury of a presenter to market and publicize these concerts on our behalf.
If you have family members, friends, or other contacts in or around those cities that the concerts will be performed in, please encourage them to come and hear this exquisite concert. Ticket prices are extremely reasonable: only $12 for adults and $9 for students/seniors, with free admission for children under 10 years. Plus, you’ll get the chance to hear my foot-stompin’ Pretty Home live and in person!
When two choral conductors come together…
October 28, 2009
Last Saturday evening I was priviledged to attend a wonderful choral concert, something that I’m not given much opportunity to do. When you are a professional singer, you are usually booked with concerts of your own and so many times concerts overlap your collegues concerts. So when I happened to have a Saturday night free, I attended the VocalEssence British Invasion concert at The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
The ‘British Invasion’ in this case was none other than Simon Halsey, a celebrated choral conductor from across the pond and friend of VocalEssence’s Philip Brunelle.
Countdown!
Listen to Lisa
