In Memoriam: Martha Nesbitt

Saturday, February 22 at 10:45 AM
Trinity Church, 484 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville, CT
(parking entrance: Dugway Rd.)

Officiated by Rev. Heidi Truax
With Singers of Crescendo Chorus and Trinity Church Chorus,
Amy Vinisko, Organ & Piano, Jens Larsen, Trumpet,
directed by Christine Gevert

Choral prelude (10:45 AM)
“O Lord, in Thee is all my trust” by Thomas Tallis
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee” from Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
“Beatus vir” and “In memoria aeterna” RV 597 by Antonio Vivaldi
“Under the canopy” by Christine Gevert on a poem by Bruce McEver

Service (11:00 AM)
“In manus tuas” by Thomas Tallis
“The Long Day Closes” by Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
“Once more gondolieri” from The Gondoliers by Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan and Sir William
Schwenck Gilbert
Hymns: “Lord of all hopefulness”, “Jerusalem the golden”, and “Eternal Father, strong to
save”

Upcoming Performances

Sat., March 1, 2025 at 4 pm
Trinity Church
Lakeville, CT 06039

Sun., March 2, 2025 at 4 pm
Saint James Place,
Great Barrington, MA 01230

Revolutionary Renaissance

Motets, Madrigals, and Canzonas by Groundbreaking Composers of the 16th Century

Sat., March 1, 2025 at 4 pm   Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT
Sun., March 2, 2025 at 4 pm   Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA

Crescendo presents two concerts with rarely performed works of two minority groups of the Renaissance era. The repertoire includes vocal and instrumental works by six female Italian composers: Isabella de’ Medici, Maddalena Casulana, Paola Massarenghi, Lucia Quinciani, Rafaella Aleotti, and Claudia Francesca Rusca, and motets and a madrigal by the Afro-Portuguese composer Vicente Lusitano.

Isabella de’ Medici, a noble woman from the powerful Medici family in Florence, Italy, a talented singer and lutenist, was also a patron of the arts, hosting musical events and sought out many female poets and singing groups for her performances. Maddalena Casulana was the first woman in Western music history to publish her music and consider herself a professional composer. Paola Massarenghi from Parma is credited for being the second woman ever to have a madrigal published during her lifetime. Venecian Lucia Quinciani is the earliest known published female composer of monody. Rafaella Aleotti was a nun, whose compositions were the first book of sacred music by a woman to appear in print, and who not only performed, but to lead an ensemble of twenty-three nuns – something not usual in her times. Claudia Francesca Rusca wrote the first known preserved instrumental works by a woman. The Portuguese composer Vicente Lusitano, is the only published composer of African descent in 16th-century Europe. His highly elaborate vocal music has only become more widely available since 2022.

Crescendo Vocal Ensemble of twenty five singers – amateurs and professionals, with soloists Jennifer Tyo and Sarah Fay, sopranos, Laura Evans, alto, and Igor Ferrerira, tenor, are accompanied by Christa Patton, harp and recorder, and Juan Mesa, organ. The ensemble is directed by Crescendo Founding Artistic Director, Christine Gevert.

Support for these concerts has been provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature, and NBT Bank. We also thank WMNR Radio for their ongoing support.

Pre-Concert Talk

Revolutionary Renaissance: Female Italian Composers of the 16th Century

In a conversation between two female musicologists, who are experts in the field of Renaissance Music, we explore the background of the compositions on our March 1 & 2 concerts. The life, predicament, and circumstances of the Italian women who were the first ones in publishing, and
performing their music, is iluminated by Dr. Laurie Stras, professor emerita of music, University of Southampton, UK, director of the ensemble Musica Secreta, and author of the book Women and Music in Sixteenth-Century Ferrara, and Dr. Karen Cook, Associate Professor of Music History and chair of Music History at the Hartt School of the University of Hartford. The hour long Zoom session will allow our audience members to ask questions.

Please join us on Sunday, February 23 at 2:00 PM ET live online.

Giving To Crescendo

Support the Music You Love!
Crescendo is a family of music lovers that brings exquisite and unique choral and instrumental music to audiences throughout our region. With your help, Crescendo can continue to perform the music you love.

Crescendo At Home

Virtual Concerts On-Demand NOW

Latest recordings:

Recorded: December 29, 2024 
Bach-Circle: Christmas Oratorios and Contemporary Female Voices

Recorded: October 6, 2024
Nature in Vivaldi’s Sounds: Concertos for Violin, Flute, and Two Mandolins

Recorded: September 14, 2024
Hommage à Wanda Landowska – Kenneth Weiss

Now you can watch Crescendo’s concerts at home at any time with our virtual concert portal – Crescendo at Home!

We want to keep choral and baroque music experiences alive not only during the pandemic, but also for your pleasure, comfort and for anyone who is not able to attend concerts in person.

Recorded in high quality audio by former Carnegie Hall engineer Leszek Wojcik, and filmed in high definition by Charlette Media Productions, we offer you an experience that is similar to being there in person. It even brings you closer to the performers than you ever would in a live concert.

Watch, and share with your family and friends!  Subscribe to our e-Newsletter for news on upcoming Crescendo at Home programming.

SINGERS based in the Berkshires are invited to join Crescendo’s Ensembles: Crescendo Chorus, Crescendo Vocal Ensemble, Crescendo Young Artists Program. We have openings for both amateur and paid professional positions in all voice groups. A limited number of scholarships are available. We regularly perform in Lakeville, CT and Great Barrington, MA. Learn more, and schedule and audition by writing to: crescendo@crescendomusic.org

COVID PROTOCOL FOR CRESCENDO’S CONCERTS AND EVENTS

Covid Prevention Policy: Masking recommended for audience members. These policies will be adapted according to community transmission rates.

These concerts have been made possible in part with support 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.