A Worthy Mirror: a commissioning project of female & non-binary composers in response to 12th-century trobairitz texts
$25
- Tracy Cowart, mezzo-soprano, harps, & percussion
- David R. McCormick, vielle (early fiddle) & rebec (early bowed instrument)
- Ben Matus, voice, bagpipes, lute, dulcians (early bassoon)
- Sian Ricketts, voice, recorders, & douçaines (early double reeds)
- Niccolo Seligmann, vielles, scheitholt (early zither), gittern (early plucked instrument), psaltery, & percussion
- Elisa Sutherland, mezzo-soprano
- Amanda Gookin, cello
Maya Bennardo — Selected works
Hai-Ting Chinn — Selected works
Melika Fitzhugh — Selected works
Sarah Goldfeather — Selected works
Tis Kaoru Zamler-Carhart — Selected works
Raquel Acevedo Klein — Selected works
Li Qi — Selected works
Niccolo Seligmann — Selected works
Patricia Van Ness — Selected works
"A Worthy Mirror" project represents a time-traveling dialogue with the 12th-century trobairitz—the feminine counterpart of the poet-composers known as troubadours. Together with guest artist Amanda Gookin of Forward Music Project, we are commissioning eleven female and non-binary composers to respond to and converse with the 36 extant trobairitz texts (of which we only have music for one). This body of lyric poetry represents a large group of historically female and anonymous femme voices in the literary tradition. Witty, ironic, heartbreaking, and erotic—these texts present a mirror to reflect upon what feels foreign about the past and what feels familiar, what is the role of gender and self in relationships, and how do we make space for the multiplicities of identity, both in the 12th Century and today.
Composers: Gelsey Bell, Maya Bennardo, Alison Cheeseman, Hai-Ting Chinn, Melika Fitzhugh, Sarah Goldfeather, Tis Kaoru Zamler-Carhart, Raquel Acevedo Klein, Li Qi, Niccolo Seligmann, and Patricia van Ness
A cinematographic studio recording of "A Worthy Mirror" will be presented online May 6-31, 2024. More information here: https://www.alkemie.org/events
About Alkemie Medieval Music Ensemble
Alkemie exists to explore and share the life-affirming and alternative perspectives to be experienced in the sounds of centuries past. Comprised of singer-performers playing over a dozen instruments (including vielles, harps, psaltery, gittern, recorders, douçaines, and percussion), the ensemble has a particular interest in the porous boundaries between the court and folk music of the Medieval period.
http://www.alkemie.orgAbout Tracy Cowart, mezzo-soprano, harps, & percussion
About David R. McCormick, vielle (early fiddle) & rebec (early bowed instrument)
Leading the charge for early music in the 21st Century, David McCormick is a multi-instrumentalist, scholar, and educator recognized for curating imaginative performances, creating educational opportunities for students of all ages, and guiding prominent arts organizations through the challenges of our time. He plays baroque violin and vielle in Alkemie Medieval Music Ensemble.
https://www.davidryanmccormick.com/About Ben Matus, voice, bagpipes, lute, dulcians (early bassoon)
About Sian Ricketts, voice, recorders, & douçaines (early double reeds)
About Niccolo Seligmann, vielles, scheitholt (early zither), gittern (early plucked instrument), psaltery, & percussion
About Elisa Sutherland, mezzo-soprano
About Amanda Gookin, cello
Praised for her "expert technical work" (The Strad), cellist Amanda Gookin "pushes Classical forward" (LA Times) and champions the future of music through the creation and bold performance of new works, and a dedication to education, culture, and community engagement. Her initiative, Forward Music Project, commissions new multimedia works for solo cello that elevate stories of feminine empowerment through raw performances and educational initiatives. Since its inception in 2015, FMP has commissioned 18 new works by such composers as Pamela Z, Paola Prestini, Jessie Montgomery, Angélica Negrón, Jessica Meyer, Allison Loggins-Hull, Kamala Sankaram, and Nathalie Joachim. I Care If You Listen has called the project "a premier example of feminist advocacy done right."
https://www.amandagookin.com/