Two long-time West Side musical institutions, New Amsterdam Singers, Clara Longstreth, Music Director and Broadway Bach Ensemble, Michael F. Tietz, Music Director, will collaborate for the first time in two concerts on February 7 at 2 p.m. and February 9 at 8 p.m. at Broadway Presbyterian Church, Broadway at 114th Street.
The program features the orchestra in a performance of Beethoven's Second Symphony and the orchestra and chorus performing Brahms' Schicksalslied ("Song of Fate"). The program will open with a Bach motet, O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht with its original orchestration for winds alone. The closing work will be the festive chorus from Bach's Cantata 197, Gott ist unser Zuversicht for orchestra including three trumpets and timpani.
New Amsterdam Singers
The New Amsterdam Singers was founded in 1968 by Clara Longstreth. A March 2004 issue of The New Yorker called Ms. Longstreth "one of the more imaginative choral programmers around" and the New Amsterdam Singers "a superb amateur group." The chorus has performed with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein; American Russian Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and at Tanglewood's Ozawa Hall under Leon Botstein; Concordia Orchestra and Anonymous Four in Richard Einhorn's Voices of Light with Marin Alsop at Avery Fisher Hall; and with the Limón Dance Company in Kodály's Missa Brevis.
The Broadway Bach Ensemble
Established in 1985, The Broadway Bach Ensemble is a 45-piece community chamber orchestra made up of dedicated musicians from many professions who, quite simply, like to make and perform great music together. Quite a few of the musicians have played professionally, and most actively study and are coached in chamber music. The programs are varied, spanning the 17th through 20th centuries, and are performed in three concerts a year in New York City.
Both concerts are free and open to the public. For further information call 212-568-5948 (New Amsterdam Singers) or 212-578-6475 (Broadway Bach Ensemble) or go online at www.NASingers.org or www.broadwaybach.org.
