KEENE, NH, 10/10/08 - Inspired by Kaddish will showcase the talents of area musicians, singers, and Keene State College faculty and students at KSC’s Redfern Arts Center on Brickyard Pond at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 1.

Moved by the stunning debut performance last spring of composer Lawrence Siegel’s Kaddish, the artists will unite their talents to create a celebration of the arts at Keene State. A chamber orchestra, a choir, and soloists will perform excerpts from Kaddish, and special dance works and readings from the original score will enhance the music throughout the evening.

Like its inspiration, the November 1 performance - through the words and memories of victims, survivors, and bystanders - creates a series of musical and spoken vignettes of the Holocaust.

However, the production is not only about the past, but also about exploring our humanity and responding ethically to intolerance and injustice today. It culminates in a message of hope and peace that extends beyond the lines of religion, race, and ethnic background. Inspired by Kaddish’s artistic director is KSC theatre and dance professor Marcia Murdock. Murdock has also created new dances for 12 KSC dance students to enhance the music.

Professor of music Elaine Broad Ginsberg, who conducted the choir for the premiere of Kaddish, will conduct the 14-piece chamber orchestra, the 32-voice KSC Chamber Singers, and eight members of the community chorus who performed in the premiere.

The performance will also feature four soloists: Keene State music professors Diane Cushing (soprano) and Pamela Stevens (mezzo-soprano), who performed in the premiere; baritone David Ripley, who appeared in the original production, is widely known for his oratorio, recital, chamber opera, and early and contemporary music programs, and recently performed American music in Paris, Brussels, Moscow, and St. Petersburg; and KSC music major, Mike Cassese (tenor).

The performance is made possible by the generous support of the offices of the KSC Provost and the Dean of Arts and Humanities and the Redfern Arts Center on Brickyard Pond. A KSC Pepsi grant has made it possible for the first 200 KSC students to see the performance for free. They will need to show a valid 2008 - 2009 ID at the box office.

Tickets are available through the Redfern box office 603-358-2168 or www.keene.edu/racbp. Prices are $10 for the general public and $5 for KSC faculty and staff, seniors, youth 17 years and younger, and KSC students with IDs.

Tickets are also available for all of the Redfern’s Presenting Series events and for performances by the departments of Music and Theatre and Dance. Patrons can still purchase 20/20 memberships that enable them to receive a 20% discount for all Presenting Series performances.

Filed under: Art, Redfern Arts Center
 Printer-friendy format