Hello, All,:) I'm excited to announce that my professional handbell
ensemble, Sonos, will be welcoming the incomparable Frederica von Stade to
our stage on Friday, June 29th, and Sunday, July 1st, in the San Francisco
Bay area.  In addition to Flicka, the ethereal sounds of handbells will be
supplemented by oboist Roger Wiesmeyer and Peruvian specialist Nayo Ulloa's
sikus (Andean panpipes) and quena (Peruvian flute).  You can find out more
about this program and purchase tickets at our Web site:  www.sonos.org.
We will be playing two additional concerts of much the same repertoire
without Flicka on Saturday, June 23rd, and Sunday, June 24th.

The program is entitled "Runaway Child:  The Life and Stowaway Adventures
of Isaac Albeniz" and will feature music from Albeniz himself, influences
on his musical character, and songs from some of his ports of call.
Albeniz is a fascinating character:  child prodigy, then prodigal son
seeking to escape a fate similar to young Mozart's, shipboard tavern
pianist at age 13, travels all over the New World (even to San Francisco!),
return to convervatory hopping at 15, triumphant comparisons to Liszt &
Rubinstein at 25, and more.  His music reflects a varied and eclectic
youth.

In keeping with Albeniz' fiery spirit, we've commissioned a work from Libby
Larsen for Flicka and bells to be premiered on these concerts.  "Hell's
Belles" is a song cycle of four songs with texts by feisty American women,
including Gertrude Stein, Billy Jean King, Talulah Bankhead, Olive Logan
and Jenny Jones.  The four movements,

* There Was a Little Girl
* Footlight Wisdom
* When I Am an Old Woman
* Magic Golden City Transit

are full of charm, sometimes witty, sometimes piquant, and always
thoughtful.

The music will include:

* A Soler sonata
* Some of the "Seven Sephardic Songs" arr. by Yehezkel
* The complete Ginastera "Cinco Canciones Populares de Argentina"
  (Compare with Chanticleer & Flicka's performance of this last year -
  I think we come out ahead!)
* Lecuona's "Malaguena"
* Two of the Moszkowski "Spanische Tanze" (Op. 12)
* The (almost complete) "Cantos de Espana" (Op. 232) of Albeniz
* Two of De Falla's "Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas"
* A Granados "Arabesca" (from "Danzas Espanolas," Op. 5)
* A short fanfare from Turina's "El Circo (1932)"
* And, of course, the world premiere of Larsen's "Hell's Belles"

Flicka is in many ways a perfect interpreter for this music, which
in Hispanic fashion travels from the depths of unrequited love, to
the everyday joys of motherhood, to the passion of youthful lust.  Her
performance is so animated, so immediate and direct...  and for "Hell's
Belles," when she gets to sing in English, her expressive style combines
with the smart texts to draw in the listener.

Listmembers from last year may recall our performance of "Navigator Tree"
for bells, taiko and sundanese gamelan (featured in "XXIst Century Music")
as part of the NEA and ACF's "Continental Harmony" project and Janos
Gereben's review of our Christmas concerts.  We think that "Runaway Child"
is our most sensual program yet, and we hope that some of you can come and
experience it.

6/29/01 @ 7:30 p.m.
Kofman Auditorium
Historic Alameda High School
2200 Central Ave. (at Walnut)
Alameda, CA

7/1/01 @ 4:00 p.m.
First Unitarian Church
1187 Franklin St.
San Francisco, CA

Without Flicka:

6/23/01 @ 7:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
13601 Saratoga (just off 85 at Saratoga Ave.)
Saratoga, CA

6/24/01 & 4:00 p.m.
Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church
49 Knox Dr.
Lafayette, CA

Jason Tiller
Sonos
http://www.sonos.org/