Jane Ellen

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