HESPERUS

early music/traditional ensemble

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

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May 2, 2008. 7:30pm. An Early American Quilt CD Release Concert. St. Columba's Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St., NW, Washington, DC 20016.

HESPERUS CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OF ‘AN EARLY AMERICAN QUILT' Digging up Four Centuries of American Roots Music ...   When HESPERUS digs up the roots of American music, it doesn't play around. The chamber-folk group's newest Maggie's Music CD, ‘An Early American Quilt' goes all the way back to 1607, the music of the Jamestown settlers. It's a funny thing though; some of those renaissance ballads and reels sound remarkably modern. On Friday, May 2 nd at 7:30 PM , HESPERUS shows us why, in a CD release concert at St. Columba's Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St., NW, Washington, DC 20016. Director Tina Chancey (viola da gamba, fiddle), Molly Andrews (voice, lap dulcimer), Elizabeth Baber (soprano), and Zan McLeod (guitar) create an ingenious musical quilt of topical ballads (Pop Goes the Weasel, The Rights of Women), Freemen's songs (Three Ravens, We be Soldiers Three), shape note hymns, Country Dance tunes, Irish jigs and reels, and broadside ballads written to be sung to such favorite tunes as Yankee Doodle and My Country T'is of Thee. This concert preserves the spirit of An Early American Quilt , a retrospective of live and previously recorded HESPERUS performances from 1985 to 2007, including ten new improvisatory tracks by Chancey and 20-year group veteran Grant Herreid.For concert information call (703) 525-7550. For directions to the church visit http://www.columba.org/about/getaround.html . Free parking is available behind the church. Tickets are $20 at the door ($15 in advance from www.hesperus.org.