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Dear Friends,
I’m writing to you a bit early this month; I had hoped to wait until after a few mid-month events, but I’ve had a lot of questions about upcoming activities which I will try to answer.
Linda Bairstow’s The Mystery of the Cold Wet Nose, for which I composed songs and instrumental music, premieres this weekend at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque (3701 Carlisle NE). Admission is $5, but additional donations for the continued work of Animal Advocates will be gladly accepted. The show is family-friendly as well as educational, and promises to provide a lot of fun for all! Performances are Saturday (April 14) at 6pm and Sunday (April 15) at 4pm, with a reception following in the social hall after each performance.
I’ve had many questions about Saturday morning’s programme on the Titanic, entitled Music for a New Age. I will be speaking not only about the music heard onboard the ship, but the heroic efforts of the musicians after the iceberg was struck. The programme begins at 10.30am, April 14th, on the actual anniversary of the disaster and is being sponsored by the Albuquerque branch of OASIS. Open to non-members as well as OASIS students, the class will be held at UNM Continuing Ed, Room G. There’s still time to register for the class by calling 505.889.0927. Continue reading April 2012
Dear Friends,
It seems nearly everyone I know is finding the new year increasingly hectic; here’s hoping that we are all able to step back from our busy work schedules in order to enjoy spending time with family and friends.
Lectures for the winter term are in full swing, and I’m particularly looking forward to a special presentation on April 14: Music for a New Age: 100th Anniversary of the Titanic. Presented by OASIS, this 90 minute programme is open to non-members as well as OASIS students. You can get more information by contacting the Albuquerque OASIS offices at 505.889.0927.
I was delighted to hear from organist Debbie Fingas shortly after she gave the Canadian premiere of my Danse des Esprits (March 11, St Peter’s Church, Cobourg, Ontario). She reported an audience of about 100 for the recital and told me that my piece was well received. In celebration of the premiere I have been making the score available to Facebook friends, free of charge, for the month of March. I would like to extend the same offer to my newsletter readers; my only request being that if the piece is to be performed, you contact me with details in advance. Drop me a line if you’d like to receive a copy of the organ score to Danse des Esprits for yourself, or your favourite organist, and I will send a .pdf copy to you via email.
My cousins in Texas wrote to tell me that my piano piece Memories of Erin was played at the March 17th wedding of Kevin and Erin Wilkens, during the seating of the parents. It’s always a special joy to know that my music was used during a family celebration. Continue reading March 2012
Dear Friends,
Here in New Mexico the weather is playing games with us; one day it’s warm, sunny and spring-like, and the next day we see three inches of snow on the ground. I’ve heard that variety is the spice of life, but this is somewhat extreme!
I was only able to give a hint in my last newsletter, but it’s now official: organist Debbie Fingas will be giving the Canadian premiere of my Danse des Esprits on March 11 at St Peter’s Church, in Cobourg, Ontario. The performance will be part of a Royal Canadian College of Organists recital in recognition of International Women’s Week. All of the pieces on the programme will be by women composers, and I’m thrilled and honoured to have my piece included in this special event.
Linda Bairstow’s play, The Mystery of the Cold Wet Nose, for which I wrote incidental music and songs, has been cast, and rehearsals are in full swing. Performances have been scheduled for April 14 at 6pm and April 15 at 4pm at First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque (3701 Carlisle Blvd NE). Donations will be accepted in lieu of ticket sales, with proceeds going to benefit the Animal Advocates; the play, of course, is not only entertaining, but child-friendly and fun! I will be attending both performances and hope to see some of you there. Continue reading February 2012
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 is treating you kindly thus far; for my part, it’s certainly begun with a lot of musical excitement. This newsletter has taken a rather prolonged and somewhat unexpected hiatus, but I look forward to being back in touch with you throughout this new year.
Last October I had the privilege to be a guest on the radio show Peace Talks, hosted by Paul Ingles. The resulting effort, The Peace Message in Classical Music, aired on KUNM 89.9 FM Albuquerque on October 28, and was subsequently picked up by several other public radio stations in the United States. You can listen to the show here: prx.org/pieces/68447-the-peace-message-in-classical-music-peace-talks
The choir of Faith Bible Church (Alb, NM), under the direction of Irma Reeder, gave the premiere of the cantata God’s Perfect Love, December 18. This work featured narration and lyrics by long-time collaborator Claire Roth, and was written expressly for the FBC Choir. It was exciting to work with the singers in rehearsal last autumn, as well as to serve as pianist for the performance.
Last year the Albuquerque Civic Chorus (abqchorus.org) commissioned me to write a piece celebrating the centennial of New Mexico statehood. The resulting piece, Enchanted Land, also with lyrics by Claire Roth, was successfully completed in December, and I’ve already received some wonderful comments from choir members. The premiere is scheduled for mid-May, and I will publish dates and locations in advance.
Continue reading January 2012
Dear Friends,
This month’s newsletter will be brief, as I’ve been spending most of my time writing without much in the way of other news to report. The commission for Belgian clarinet choir Claribel is proceeding nicely, and I’m very excited about it. I’m also working on a short Christmas cantata for a local church, have started sketching the piece for Albuquerque Civic Chorus celebrating the 100th anniversary of New Mexico statehood, and am playing with ideas for the inter-generational musical The Mystery of the Cold Wet Nose.
You may remember I mentioned having seen both Spirit Family Reunion and singer-songwriters Eric Brace and Peter Cooper in Nashville last March and how impressed I was by these fine musicians. I’m thrilled to let my friends in the ‘burque area know that Eric Brace (redbeetrecords.com/eric-brace), and two singer-songwriter friends, Phil Lee and Tom Mason, will be making two local stops in August during their current tour.
Monday, August 8th, Eric and friends will be at The Range (505.867.1700) in Bernalillo at 8pm. The Range is the most popular restaurant in Bernalillo, so you’re guaranteed a great meal as well as amazing music! The following night, Tuesday, August 9th, there will be a special all-acoustic performance from the East Nashville Rambling Revue at Apple Mountain Music in Albuquerque (505.237.2048). This will be Eric’s first time in Albuquerque, so I hope you’ll come out and make these brilliant musicians feel welcome! Continue reading July 2011
Dear Friends,
It’s officially summer (in this hemisphere,) and I hope that you have many wonderful activities lined up for a refreshing and productive season. For those of you in deep mid-winter, you have both my sympathy and rather a lot of envy as my thermometer heads toward 100F.
I have two new music projects to announce, and I’m very excited about both of them. Firstly, Verallen Kleinhenz, director of the renowned Albuquerque Civic Chorus, has commissioned a piece celebrating the 100th anniversary of New Mexico Statehood which will be performed on tour throughout 2012. Secondly, I have been asked to write several songs for The Mystery of the Cold, Wet Nose, an inter-generational musical with book and lyrics by Linda Bairstow. This project of the Animal Advocates of the First Unitarian Church in Albuquerque and their supporters is scheduled to premiere in April 2012. As with most artists, it always seems to be feast or famine, and I’m blessed to be enjoying a feast of compositional work at the moment. Continue reading June 2011
Dear Friends,
Many people told me that April sped by them in a whirlwind of activity, and that’s pretty much what happened to me. I hit the ground running in mid-March after returning from Nashville and have only just this week been able to get my head above water for a few days. Meanwhile, lots of exciting things are happening, so I’ll get right to the news!
It seems like the winter term only ended a couple of weeks ago (actually, it did!) but OASIS classes begin again next week, with Showtunes rehearsals starting the last Tuesday in May. Watch for me this summer not only at OASIS, but also at both Osher campuses: in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico, and in Bernalillo at Del Webb Alegria.
In June and July I’m presenting a four-week class for adults entitled For the Love of Music at the New Mexico School of Music, Nob Hill Campus. This light-hearted introduction to music history and appreciation is designed to emphasise the enduring importance of music in the world and to help students acquire a deeper understanding of music in general. We’re going to have a lot of fun, and I’m really looking forward to the class! If you’re interested in joining us, please call the NMSM Office on 505.266.3474. Continue reading May 2011
I haven’t found a resolution to the amount of spam my website is generating, so comments are still closed. In the meantime – I’ve opened a blog! It will be announced in this month’s newsletter, but you can check it out in advance by visiting janeellen.net. I’ll be blogging regularly on music I’ve discovered, [...]
I have currently disabled comments here due to an overwhelming onslaught of spam. Although I tried to the best of my ability, I am simply unable to moderate hundreds of comments a day (and believe me, these needed moderation!). I need to consult with my web guru to make some decisions about future formatting, [...]
Dear Friends,
There isn’t a lot of news this month, but I’m determined to keep in touch with you on a monthly basis this year, so I’ll get right to the news.
Last week I was fortunate enough to spend several days in Nashville, meeting up with good friends and enjoying all that this beautiful city has to offer. I was truly amazed at how many things we were able to do for free (from Israeli folk dancing, to an exhibit of historic Egyptian artefacts and replicas, to a collection of Fabergé treasures of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra, to an onstage concert with members of the Nashville Symphony). We also attended a taping of Music City Roots at the Loveless Café, where we heard an amazing new Americana band, Spirit Family Reunion, and enjoyed singer-songwriters Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, in addition to other acts. Needless to say, I can’t wait to go back, and am looking to make contacts in the city.
Social networks seem to be a love/hate relationship with nearly everyone I know. Many musicians seem to dislike them, but I really love them, and in particular, Facebook. Currently I’m trying to build my artist page on Facebook; in recognition of my 25 years as a published composer I’m giving away free tracks and CDs throughout the year. If you’re using Facebook, I would love for you to “like” my page; it can be found at www.facebook.com/Composer.Jane.Ellen. I’m hoping to reach 100 fans this month. Continue reading March 2011
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