View RSS Feed

MusicUK

Non, Je ne regrette rien - Women in Music Gala celebrates Edith Piaf

Rating: 4 votes, 5.00 average.
by , 04-27-2015 at 02:02 AM (1014 Views)
      
   
Name:  22222.jpg
Views: 367
Size:  55.8 KB

April 18 Women in Music Gala Celebrates Edith Piaf

On Saturday, April 18, Friends of Music at Guilford's celebration of Women in Music is its signature annual fundraiser. Patrons will enjoy a generous buffet of hearty hors d'oeuvres and salads between 6 and 7 p.m. This year's concert then features vocalist Jessica Gelter and pianist Ken Olsson in a centennial tribute to legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf (1915-1963). An array of desserts prepared by area restaurant and bakery chefs follows.

Edith Piaf, who was "discovered" as a street singer while still in her teens, took the Paris cabaret scene by storm and became regarded as France's national diva. She was also one of its greatest international stars and mentored many other aspiring performers. Piaf's music was often autobiographical: her singing reflected her life, a contemplation of femininity, love, and home, sprinkled liberally with loss and sorrow. The program will cover a mix of Piaf's iconic hits and less-familiar songs, among them La Vie en Rose, Rien de Rien, La Belle Histoire d'Amour, Mon Dieu, and more.

The audience will also learn a bit about the singer's complex character, which, according to biographer Carolyn Burke ("No Regrets: Edith Piaf," 2011), included "a thirst for knowledge, a joie de vivre, and a forceful will." A taste of work by pioneering French women writers and philosophers who influenced Piaf will be sampled, too; these include her contemporaries Simone de Beauvoir, Anaïs Nin, and Marguerite Yourcenar.

Jessica Gelter was featured soloist at Friends of Music's 2014 Labor Day Weekend orchestra concert and the critically acclaimed "Now and Then" musical at Actor's Theatre Playhouse last summer. In both instances, she collaborated with Ken Olsson, who was conductor and music director/pianist, respectively. A trustee of Friends of Music since 2009, Jess was alto soloist for its 2012 Messiah Sing and performed a house concert of Spanish love songs in May 2013. She has also been an actor, singer, and/or director for many plays and musicals at both New England Youth Theatre and Vermont Theatre Company, and served as VTC president for a time. Jess is executive director of Monadnock Arts Alive in Keene, NH.

Ken Olsson has performed three organ recitals for Friends of Music at The Organ Barn in Guilford and has conducted its Labor Day Weekend Festival orchestra since 2012. Earlier that same year, he accompanied wife Julie Johnson Olsson in a FOMAG-sponsored program of arias and art songs. With a degree in Vocal Performance, Ken has performed in, and served as musical director for, many operas and musical plays in the region, most recently appearing in "Les Miserables" at Main Street Arts. He conducts the West River Valley Chorus in Townshend, Nordic Harmoni in Londonderry, and the Springfield Community Chorus.

These annual FOMAG house-concert galas also traditionally include an eagerly anticipated Silent Auction of 2-for-1 tickets to a broad selection of regional music, theater, and dance performances, plus a few other tempting items and gift certificates. Bidders can realize significant savings while supporting the Friends of Music current season of events.



the source

Submit "Non, Je ne regrette rien - Women in Music Gala celebrates Edith Piaf" to Google Submit "Non, Je ne regrette rien - Women in Music Gala celebrates Edith Piaf" to del.icio.us Submit "Non, Je ne regrette rien - Women in Music Gala celebrates Edith Piaf" to Digg Submit "Non, Je ne regrette rien - Women in Music Gala celebrates Edith Piaf" to reddit

Tags: edith piaf Add / Edit Tags
Categories
Uncategorized

Comments