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Baroque Festival celebrates Dalton Center's 25th anniversary
Jan. 5, 2007
KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University's School of Music will
host six lectures, performances and demonstrations during its
Baroque Festival, which begins with a lecture Wednesday, Jan.
10, and culminates with a Thursday, Feb. 8, performance by Apollo's
Fire, a nationally acclaimed orchestra dedicated to performing
music from the Baroque period.
The festival, the first in a yearlong series of activities
celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Dorothy U. Dalton Center,
focuses on the musical arts that flourished from 1600 to 1750.
It will include study, performance and appreciation of the works
of composers such as Bach, Handel, Monteverdi and Vivaldi.
All events will be held in the Dalton Center Recital Hall
and are open to the public. Admission is free of charge to all
events, except the Feb. 8 performance by Apollo's Fire.
Baroque Festival Events
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 1 p.m.
"Baroque, it's much more than Bach"
The festival will open with a reflective lecture focused
on the diversity of musical arts that flourished during the Baroque
era. The lecture, led by Dr. Daniel C. Jacobson, professor of
music at WMU, will highlight the significant musical developments
of the time period. The works of Monteverdi, Vivaldi and Bach
will be examined.
Monday, Jan. 29, 8:15 p.m.
"Going for Baroque"
Students and faculty from WMU's School of Music will collaborate
to present a recital featuring works either from or inspired
by the Baroque period. Coordinated by Lori Sims, John T. Bernhard
Professor of Music and award-winning pianist, the concert will
include group performances by the WMU Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble
and Gold Company. Several WMU faculty members also will give
individual performances.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1 p.m.
"Handel in Early 19th Century England"
The lecture, "Handel in Early 19th Century England:
Of Gas Lighting, Royal Taste and Sibling Rivalry," will
be led by Stanley C. Pelkey, assistant professor of music at
WMU, and will explore some of the ways in which Handel's music
came to permeate British culture in the early decades of the
19th century. The discussion will be combined with live musical
performances of pieces composed or inspired by Handel.
Friday, Feb. 2, 8:15 p.m.
"We've Got Your Bach!"
The University Chorale, conducted by James K. Bass, interim
director of choral activities for the School of Music, and a
chamber orchestra of WMU students and faculty will perform the
works of Bach. Selected compositions include "Jesu, Meine
Freude" and "Brandenburg Concerto #2," among others.
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m.
"Getting a Handel on Baroque"
Apollo's Fire director Jeannette Sorrell and selected musicians
from the ensemble will examine the art and performance practices
of the Baroque era. Handel's "Fireworks Suite" will
serve as the performance model for this discussion, which compares
and contrasts issues of importance to present-day performers
and audiences of Baroque repertoire.
Thursday, Feb. 8, 8:15 p.m.
Grand Finale Concert
Apollo's Fire, the Cleveland-based Baroque orchestra with chorus,
will perform works by Handel, including the "Fireworks Suite"
and "Dixit Dominus." The concert officially begins
the yearlong celebration of the Dalton Center's 25th anniversary
and will be broadcast live on public radio station WMUK 102.1 FM.
General admission seating is $10 and $5 for students and senior
citizens. Premium seating is $30. Tickets are available by calling
(269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858, online at millerauditorium.com,
or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office.
Apollo's Fire three-day residency
Apollo's Fire will be at WMU for a three-day residency during
the final days of the Baroque Festival. This residency--the most
ambitious since the Detroit Symphony was on campus for three
days in 1972--will focus on Baroque music and performance practices,
and will include master classes, convocations, public performances
and classroom visits.
Apollo's Fire at WMU is sponsored by the WMU School of Music's
Bullock Performance Institute and is supported by the Chuck and
Tucky Elliott Distinguished Visiting Artists Fund and by the
Holiday Inn West in Kalamazoo.
Media contact: Kevin West, (269) 387-4678, kevin.west@wmich.edu
WMU News
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