The Program
Fresh and Fearless (Daniel Elder)
Shadow River (Elaine Hagenberg)
Ballade to the Moon (Daniel Elder)
Come You Not from Newcastle? (arr. Benjamin Britten)
Now Touch the Air Softly (Susan LaBarr)
Silver Dagger (arr. Amelia Wellers)
Motherless Child (arr. Adolphus Hailstork)
The Peace of Wild Things (Jake Runestad)
Salutation (Ēriks Ešenvalds)
O Thou Who Art Unchangeable (Samuel Barber)
Abendlied (Josef Rheinberger)
Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal (arr. Alice Parker)
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! (arr. Howard Helvey)
O! What a Beautiful City (arr. Shawn Kirchner)
Blessing (Paul Mealor)
Camerata d’Amici to Present “Touch the Air Softly” on May 19
Choral group Camerata d’Amici will present its spring concert “Touch the Air Softly” on Sunday, May 19, at 4 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 6 Ivy Hill Road, Ridgefield, CT. Conducted by artistic director Kristin Sponheim, the program will feature compositions that convey the hope and optimism of spring.
The first half of the concert features songs about love and connection, including “Now Touch the Air Softly,” a setting by Susan LaBarr of the words of former U.S. poet laureate William Jay Smith and “Ballade to the Moon” by Daniel Elder.
The program will continue with songs of comfort and inspiration, including “Salutation” by Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds and “The Peace of Wild Things” by Jake Runestad, a moving setting of the poetry of Wendell Berry.
The concert concludes with “O! What a Beautiful City,” a jubilant setting by Shawn Kirchner of an African-American spiritual for six-part choir with piano accompaniment.
Founded in 2006, Camerata d’Amici is an auditioned choir made up of singers from Fairfield and Westchester counties. “Touch the Air Softly” will feature performances by the full group and a chamber ensemble, as well as men’s and women’s pieces and vocal solos by soprano Juliet Pratt of Ridgefield, and Thomas Carr of Danbury. The choir will be accompanied by Margarita Nuller (piano).
The concert will also feature the New England premiere of “Silver Dagger,” composed by former Ridgefielder Amelia Wellers, and sung by the women of Camerata.
Support has been provided to Camerata d’Amici from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.