What: The Rose Ensemble will be the featured artist in both a concert and a Common Hour event entitled, “Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims.” The program, spanning four centuries of vocal and instrumental music, is a diverse collection of Arab-Andalusian dances, Sephardic laments, Spanish villancicos, Hebrew chants, and Galician spiritual cantigas. The concert is free and open to the public; the Common Hour event is open only to the Trinity community.
When: Concert: Monday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Common Hour: Tuesday, January 31 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Concert: Hamlin Hall on the Trinity College campus, 300 Summit Street, Hartford.
Common Hour: Washington Room, Mather Hall.
Background: Founded in 1996 and based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, The Rose Ensemble reawakens ancient culture with vocal music that stirs the emotions, challenges the mind and lifts the spirit. Each season, the group illuminates several centuries of a rarely heard repetoire, bringing to modern audiences research from the world’s manuscript libraries and fresh perspectives on history, language, politics, religion, and world cultures and traditions.
With nine critically acclaimed recordings and a diverse selection of performances, The Rose Ensemble has entertained audiences across the United States and Europe with a repertoire spanning 1,000 years and more than 25 languages.
The musicians of The Rose Ensemble have received acclaim for their ability to sing both as an ensemble and as individual soloists, while director Jordan Sramek has been lauded for his diverse programming and ground-breaking research. The Rose Ensemble is the recipient of the 2005 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence. Sramek is the 2010 recipient of the Chorus America Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal.
Currently presenting over 75 performances each year, The Rose Ensemble is recognized as a leader and innovator on the North American choral/vocal music scene.
The Rose Ensemble can be heard regularly on American Public Media and the European Broadcasting Union and was recently featured in live broadcasts on Radio France, Chicago Public Radio, Vermont Public Radio and NPR’s “Performance Today.” The group’s latest commercial recording, Il Poverello, is a diverse collection of medieval and Renaissance vocal and instrumental music honoring the life and legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi. A limited edition, live recording of the group’s “Three Faiths” program was released in 2011.
The concert and Common Hour event are cosponsored by the Office of the President; Office of the Dean of Faculty; Office of Spiritual and Religious Life; the Multicultural Affairs Office; the Zachs Hillel House; the History Department; the Music Department; the Language and Culture Studies Department; the Jewish Studies Program; the President’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate; and a grant from the Amy Selzer Memorial Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation.
For more information, please call: 860-297-4195.