CLASSICAL MOVEMENTS PRESENTS SPENCE SCHOOL SELECT CHOIR on
DEBUT TOUR of SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND and IRELAND
EVAN WELS LEADS 4 CONCERTS: EDINBURGH, BELFAST, DUBLIN
MARCH 17—26, 2018
From March 17—26 2018, Classical Movements will present four exciting performances by the world-renowned Spence School Select Choir of New York, New York—“beautifully trained and tuned,” New York Times—during their first-ever concert tour to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Under the baton of Evan Wels, and accompanied by pianist Andrea Lam, the all-girl ensemble’s 10-day journey marks the group’s British Isles debut in Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin, after decades of both domestic and international touring.
Performing an expertly curated program of sacred classical works, African-American spirituals, Appalachian folk tunes, jazz standards, pop songs and world music numbers specifically from Scotland and Ireland, in the capitol city of Dublin for the Lenten Season, these talented girls from Manhattan’s Upper East Side will participate in musical exchanges with St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir and the Dublin Bach Singers.
SCHEDULE:
Edinburgh, SCOTLAND | Edinburgh University, St. Cecilia’s Hall
Date: Monday, 19 March
Time: 13:00
Tickets: Free Lunchtime Concert
Belfast, NORTHERN IRELAND | Methodist College Chapel
Date: Thursday, 22 March
Time: 12:45
Tickets: Closed Concert for Students and Staff
Dublin, IRELAND | St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral
Date: Friday, 23 March
Time: 20:00
Tickets: $20, via Eventbrite
Hosts: St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir & Dublin Bach Singers (Blánaid Murphy, director)
Dublin, IRELAND | Service at St. Ann’s Church
Date: Sunday, 25 January
Time: 11:00
Tickets: Sunday Service
PROGRAM:
Svatba
Bulgarian folk song, arr. Petar Lyondev
Ukuthula
South African sacred song
Zaspalali
Bulgarian folk song, arr. Nikolai Kaufman
Tota pulchra es
Maurice Duruflé
Loch Lomond
Scottish folk song
Carolina Pines
American folk song by Kate Wolf
Bring Me Little Water Sylvie
American folk song by Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly), arr. Moira Smiley
Sweet Prospect
American folk hymn from The Sacred Harp, William Walker, arr. George S. Clinton
Fly Me to the Moon
American jazz standard by Bart Howard, arr. Gwyn Arch
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
American jazz standard by Manning Sherwin, arr. Michael Neaum
With or Without You
U2, arr. Scala and Kolacny Brothers
When I’m 64
The Beatles, arr. Carolyn Schmidt (American Sweet Adelines style)
Praise His Holy Name
American gospel song by Keith Hampton
BIOGRAPHIES:
The Spence School Select Choir, under the direction of Evan Wels, is considered one of the top treble choirs in New York City. The ensemble is known for its fluency in a wide variety of choral styles, performing exciting and diverse programs which incorporate Renaissance masterworks, Bulgarian folk songs and rousing American gospel and spiritual arrangements. The Select Choir tours extensively; in recent years, it has performed for audiences at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. In New York, the group performs regularly at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
With ensembles that have been heralded as “beautifully trained and tuned” by the New York Times, Evan Wels is a vibrant presence in the New York choral scene. A student of Simon Carrington and Marguerite Brooks at the Yale School of Music, Mr. Wels is now in his 14 year as the Choral Director at the Spence School. As a countertenor, Mr. Wels has performed with the Yale Schola Cantorum, Tiffany Consort and Yale Whiffenpoofs. He lives in New York City with his wife, Australian pianist Andrea Lam, and their son, Avery.
ABOUT CLASSICAL MOVEMENTS:
Moving the Music, Changing the World
The premier concert tour company for the world’s great orchestras and choirs, Classical Movements creates meaningful cultural experiences through music in 145 countries. An industry leader for over a quarter-century, Classical Movements organizes more than 60 tours every year, producing some 200 concerts every season. Producer of two international choral festivals—Ihlombe! in South Africa and Serenade! in Washington, D.C.—and the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival, in addition, Classical Movements’ Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program has commissioned over 50 works from Grammy, Oscar and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers. Winner of Americans for the Arts’ BCA10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts Award, since its founding in 1992, as a truly global company, Classical Movements remains committed to facilitating cultural diplomacy across the world—promoting peace through the medium of music.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Logan K. Young, Marketing and Public Relations Director
+1 (703) 683-6040
logan@classicalmovements.com
Anne Stickley, Marketing and Sales Assistant
+1 (703) 683-6040
anne@classicalmovements.com