Kim-Anh & Whojong at Christ the King

PROGRAM:

Seating of the Grandparents

Bach/Gounod – “Ave Maria”

Seating of the Mothers

Pachelbel – “Canon in D”

Attendant Processional

Bach – “Air” from the D Major Suite

Bridal Processional

Massenet – “Meditation” from “Thais”

Presentation of the Gifts

Trad. – “Be Thou My Vision”

Communion

Bach – “Prelude” from Cello Suite No. 1 in G
Schubert – “Ave Maria”

Recessional

Mendelssohn – “Wedding March” from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Postlude

Bach – “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3”


GYROS STRING QUARTET:
Aleksandr Snytkin, violin
Jennifer Sweetman, violin
Norbert Gerl, viola
Mitch Maxwell, violoncello

Lenten Music at St.Thomas Aquinas, part 2

The St. Thomas Aquinas Choir, sopranos Hannah Rigg and Dee Donasco, and the Gyros String Quintet perform Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater” as part of the St. Thomas Aquinas Stations of the Cross and Concert Series. Stations begin at 7:00 PM and the concerts follow immediately at 8:00 PM.

Admission is free. For more information, visit the parish website at www.stthomasaquinas.org

Friday, March 15, 2013 at 8:00 PM

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
6306 Kenwood Ave.
Dallas, TX 75214
(map)

Program:

GIOVANNI BATTISTA PERGOLESI
Stabat Mater
(for soprano, alto, strings and basso continuo)
 
Hannah Rigg, soprano
Dee Donasco, soprano
St. Thomas Aquinas Choir
directed by
Michael Conrady
Gyros String Quartet * with bassist Jack Unzicker

* Gary Schnitzer, Saejin Yoon, violin, Norbert Gerl, viola, Shawna Hamilton, violoncello

Get a taste here:

[ READ MORE . . . ]

Lenten Music at St. Thomas Aquinas, part 1

Two solo cantatas by J.S.Bach are to be performed this week as part of the St. Thomas Aquinas Stations of the Cross and Concert Series. Stations begin at 7:00 PM and the concerts follow immediately at approximately 8:00 p.m.

Admission is free. For more information, visit the parish website at www.stthomasaquinas.org

Friday, March 8, 2013 at 8:00 PM

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
6306 Kenwood Ave.
Dallas, TX 75214
(map)

Program:

J.S.BACH  (1685 - 1750)
Cantata  BWV 56  -  “Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen”
Cantata  BWV 199  -  “Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut” (1714 Weimar version in c-minor**)


Camille King, soprano
John Hendricks, baritone

Steve Pettey, oboe
Swang Lin, violin
Amy Faires, violin
Cornelia Demian, viola
Karen Hall, violoncello
Michael Conrady, organ continuo 

**BWV 199 was only known in fragments, and was published that way in the old Bach Gesellschaft Edition until the full Bach autograph, which had come to Denmark through the Danish official, music collector and composer Peter Grønland (1761 - 1825), was discovered by the Danish scholar Matiennsen early in the twentieth century. It was printed for the first time in 1913. Since then four versions of the piece have come to light.

Get a taste here:

Heather & Eric at Bella Donna

PROGRAM:

Prelude:
Purcell – Rondeau from “Abdelazar” 
Mouret – Rondeau
Mozart – Divertimento No. 3 in F
Bach – “Largo” from Concerto for Two Violins
Mozart – Divertimento No. 1 in D
Hardy – Anne’s Theme from “Anne of Green Gables”

Ceremony:

Seating of the Families

Puccini – “O Mio Babbino Caro”

Attendant’s Processional

Schutte – “Here I am Lord”

Bridal Processional

Justin Rizzo – “The Wedding Song”

Communion

“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”

Recessional

David Crowder Band  – “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”


GYROS STRING QUARTET:
Gary Schnitzer, violin
Jennifer Sweetman, violin
Norbert Gerl, viola
Beth Conway, violoncello

Coordinator: Meredith Commender, www.significanteventsoftexas.com

Eleanor Rigby

At the beginning of the year the first week - or so - is often especially enjoyable for musicians. The hectic schedule of the Christmas season is over and there is now finally a little time to hang out at home, watch movies and work on some music just for fun.

This year I decided to finally do a little “forensic” study of the seminal 1966 Beatles track Eleanor Rigby, which featured a double string quartet as the only instruments supporting Paul McCartney’s vocal.
The somewhat gritty sound has its origin, it appears, in McCartney’s worry that the strings not sound too “Mancini”, he wanted them “really biting” and non-vibrato. Engineer Geoff Emerick accomplished this through very close-up miking, unheard of at a time when quartets where traditionally recorded with just one or two microphones, placed high, several feet up in the air. This produced quite a bit of eye-rolling from the musicians, evidently, who got annoyed to the point that they declined an invitation to listen to the playback. Out of 14 takes, the last was chosen as the best, and the whole session concluded in less than three hours. Viola player Stephen Shingles remembers being payed 5 Pounds Sterling, the equivalent today would be ca. $110.



Getting to know the track intimately through the process of transcription, it becomes clear that producer George Martin’s masterful score is not only a model in economy - getting the greatest effect with minimal means - but also an essential partner in conveying the emotional tone of the vocal and lyrics. Since he is writing for what is really two players per part, subtle use of divisi is made from time to time as well. This, combined with the overall quality/age of the recording and mix, presents quite a challenge to listen into the sound and decipher what is going on, especially with regard to the inner voices.

After a week the transcription is finished as close as seems possible. It was fun living for while inside this little gem that so unexpectedly entered our collective consciousness some 46 years ago. I can actually still remember the impact of Revolver when it was first released and how ground-breaking, even shocking Eleanor Rigby in particular felt, though I was only 10 years old at the time. The world of music was not the same afterwards.

For those interested, more detailed background and history surrounding Eleanor Rigby can be found here: http://www.beatlesebooks.com/eleanor-rigby 

Kristin & Ronnie at Bella Donna

Long time collaborator, friend and great oboist Steve Pettey joined us once again as guest soloist for what turned out to be the last wedding of 2012 for us (12/29).

Kristin, the bride, had actually been a student of Steve’s as a young girl and always pictured her teacher performing at her wedding. Having the luxury of this particular instrument combination to work with, “Gabriel’s Oboe” (from the film The Mission) was chosen for the bridal processional. In the lovely space and acoustic of the Bella Donna chapel nothing could have been more poignant and serene (see audio samples below).

For the Unity Candle Kristin requested the Adagio from Albinoni’s Oboe Concerto in d-minor (Concerto a Cinque, op. 9, No. 2)



Program:
Prelude:
Schubert – “Ave Maria”
Massenet – “Meditation from Thais”
Bach – “Bist Du Bei Mir”
Fauré – “Pavane”
Bach – “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”

Wedding Party Processional
Bach – “Air”

Bridal Processional
Morricone –  Gabriel’s Oboe”

Unity Candle
Albinoni – “Adagio” from Concerto a Cinque, op. 9, No. 2

Recessional
Jason Mraz – “I’m Yours”


GYROS STRING QUARTET:
Aleksandr Snytkin, violin
Jennifer Sweetman, violin
Norbert Gerl, viola
Mitch Maxwell, violoncello

Steve Pettey, oboe
 

Christmas Eve with the Gyros String Quartet

24 December, 2012

On Christmas Eve you can choose this year again from either two afternoon services, or two Candlelight midnight services:

Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
8011 Douglas
Dallas, TX 75225
(click here for map)

3:00pm and 5:00pm – Christmas liturgy with the Gyros String Quintet, organ and choir.

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St. Luke's Episcopal Church 

5923 Royal Lane
Dallas, TX 75230
(click here for map)

Prelude, 9:45 pm - with the Gyros String Quartet
Christmas Carols, 10:00 pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 10:30 pm

or

Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
8011 Douglas
Dallas, TX 75225
(click here for map)

10:00 pm – prelude with Gyros Strings, oboe and trumpets

ARCANGELO CORELLI  –  Concerto Grosso, op. 6, No. 8  (fatto per la notte di natale)
ANTONIO VIVALDI  –  Concerto for two trumpets and strings in C-Major
ALESSANDRO MARCELLO  –  Concerto for Oboe and strings in C-minor

10:30 pm – Midnight Service:

HOLST  –  Christmas Day
MOZART  –  Sanctus from Missa Solemnis in C
WARLOCK  –  Balulalow
BERLIOZ  – Shepherd’s Farewell
and others

Andrea & Joshua at Stonebriar

This ceremony took place on November 3rd with near perfect weather at the Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco. All of the music chosen by the couple - both prelude and ceremony - was either from a film score or was featured in a movie soundtrack.

PROGRAM:

Prelude:
Morricone – “Gabriel’s Oboe”
From the movie “The Mission”

Bach – “Arioso”
From the movie “Lady Hawke”

Corelli – Concerto grosso Op.8, No. 8 (Adagio)
From the movie “Master and Commander”

Mozart – “Ave Verum”
From the movie “The Peacemaker”

Mascagni – “Cavalleria Rusticana (Intermezzo)”
From the movie “Raging Bull”

Elgar – “Salut d’Amor Op.12”
From the movie “The Legend of Tarzan”

Ceremony:

Seating of the Family and Attendant Processional

Puccini – “O Mio Babbino Caro”
From the movie “No Reservations”

Bridal Processional

Giacchino – “The Married Life”
From the movie “Up”

Recessional

Boccherini – “La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid” (Passa Calle)
From the movie “Master and Commander”


GYROS STRING QUARTET:
Gary Schnitzer, violin
Jennifer Sweetman, violin
Norbert Gerl, viola
Shawna Hamilton, violoncello

Jenny & Steve at Bella Donna

PROGRAM:

Prelude:
All You Need is Love 
Something
I’m Yours
You Raise Me Up
Here Comes the Sun
Vivaldi – “Spring” from “Four Seasons”
Bach – Air on the “G-String”
Bach – Sheep May Safely Graze
Purcell – Trumpet Tune
Pachelbel – “Canon in D”

Ceremony:

Seating of the Families and Processional

Bach – “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring”

Bridal Processional

Clarke – “Trumpet Voluntary”

Unity Candle

Schubert – “Ave Maria”

Recessional

Mouret – “Rondeau”

Postlude
Handel – “Hornpipe” from “Water Music”


GYROS STRING QUARTET:
Gary Schnitzer, violin
Saejin Yoon, violin
Norbert Gerl, viola
Shawna Hamilton, violoncello

Glen Hummel, trumpet, flugel horn
Goga Denisov, vocalist

Haydn Requiem at St.Thomas Aquinas

All Souls Day Commemoration Service and Requiem Concert

Friday, November 2, 2012

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
6306 Kenwood Ave.
Dallas, TX 75214
(map)

All Souls’ Evening Prayer and Service of Light

7:30 pm

Followed immediately by:

Michael Haydn  - Requiem in C minor

8:15 pm

Performed by the Saint Thomas Aquinas Choir and orchestra, directed by Michael Conrady

Dee Donasco, Soprano

Sylvia Nunez, Alto

Paul Kroeger, Tenor

John Hendricks, Bass

Admission is free

Get a taste here: