February E-Newsletter: Renaissance Candlemas concert

Renaissance Candlemas concert: Beautiful music in a beautiful cathedral space

Friday, February 7 at 8 PM

Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter & Paul

Buy tickets here

CANDLEMAS – A Midwinter Holiday

The word Candlemas is derived from the Middle English word candelmasse, in turn descended from Old English, candelmæsse, built on the words candel + mæsse (candle+mass = candle-feast). The word Candlemas appears in English usage before the twelfth century. The spelling Candle Mass has also been used.

Candlemas is an ancient Christian feast day, also known as the Feast of the Purification of Mary, or the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. It occurs on February 2, forty days after Christmas, and commemorates Mary’s submitting herself to ritual purification after the birth of her son Jesus, in accordance with Mosaic Law. It also commemorates the meeting with the aged priest Simeon, who, upon seeing Mary’s infant son, proclaimed him as the “Light to the gentiles.” Because of this, the feast has always involved a celebration of light. The most famous of the customs—and the one from which the feast gained its common name—is that of the blessing of, and procession with, candles.

January E-Newsletter: Maestro Peter Donohoe

PETER  DONOHOE

in conversation

with R.A. Shapp

I caught up with Peter Donohoe at his U.K. home where he was busy practicing. Our conversation, naturally, focused on his return to the stage at the Kimmel Center on Friday, January 3, with Valentin Radu and the Ama Deus Ensemble for a program of well-known and lesser-known piano works by George Gershwin, and the Maurice Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major. It was the latter work upon which our conversation focused.

RAS: Peter, in preparing for our conversation I read up a bit on the Gershwin miniatures you will perform, and especially on Ravel and his G-Major Concerto. I came across a quote, reputedly by Ravel, that I think can begin this interview for the VoxAmaDeus E-Newsletter:  “The most captivating part of jazz is its rich and diverting rhythm.  …Jazz is a very rich and vital source of inspiration for modern composers and I am astonished that so few Americans are influenced by it.” 

Soprano Andrea Lauren Brown

Purposefully Peripatetic

VoxAmaDeus’ Prima Donna

Andrea Lauren Brown

In Conversation with Richard A. Shapp

A native of Wilmington, Delaware, and a great favorite with the audiences of VoxAmaDeus, coloratura soprano Andrea Lauren Brown paid a visit to Philadelphia last mid-October.  Once again she captivated her loyal fans during a thrilling performance of Mozart’s Grand Mass in c minor in the Kimmel Center with the Ama Deus Ensemble conducted by Valentin Radu. Then it was back to Europe for a whirlwind of performances. And now she returns home for what will surely prove to be her signature interpretation of Handel’s Messiah with the Ama Deus Ensemble. Then Andrea will fly off again to perform concert after concert in Europe. Such is the busy life of this renowned vocal artist.

Andrea and I caught up with each other before the Mozart Mass in c minor last October. With time being limited I asked Andrea to capsulize what she had performed since her last visit home, and what lies ahead in her busy artistic schedule.

November E-Newsletter

Valentin Radu
Speaks Candidly About VoxAmaDeus
Past … Present … Future …

  

 Dear Friends of VoxAmaDeus …

Please consider this to be like a partial "shareholders' report" for a musical organization that I founded 27 years ago and that I love and which you support through your concert attendance, ticket purchases and/or financial donations. I'll break this report down into four major areas:

1) My satisfaction with the tremendous growth of the Camerata Ama Deus chamber orchestra from a dream of mine to a full-fledged ensemble which, at its last performance, played to a standing-room-only, capacity audience in Daylesford Abbey on September 15;

2) My artistic vision in programming combinations of (pardon the expression) old warhorses like the Messiah or the Mozart Requiem with lesser-known works - musical gems that are "new" to the audience, even though they are centuries old;

3) Developing and continuing the concept of conducting from the keyboard; and

4) Performing "outside-the-box" repertoire, as we began to do with our Gershwin and More concerts starring the fabulous British virtuoso Peter Donohoe on the piano.

October E-Newsletter

VoxAmaDeus Welcomes the Return of 

Soprano Sarah Davis

VoxAmaDeus is happy to announce that Sarah Davis will return to its concert stage on Friday, October 11, as a soprano soloist in Mozart’s Grand Mass in c minor at the Kimmel Center, conducted by Valentin Radu. Sarah is more active than ever and has spent, and will spend, plenty of quality music-making time in the Philadelphia area. Here is Sarah in conversation with Richard A. Shapp.

 RAS: Sarah Davis, welcome back to the electronic pages of the VoxAmaDeus E-Newsletter. It’s been a while; what have you been doing?

SD: The last concert I sang with VoxAmaDeus was the Vivaldi Gloria in December 2011 at the Kimmel Center. It’s been a whirlwind since then! I am thrilled to be back singing with Valentin and my friends in VoxAmaDeus on October 11. It is an honor to have been invited to sing with such esteemed colleagues and to get the chance to perform this glorious music—the Mozart Grand Mass in c minor.