The Boston Camerata, which has charmed world-wide audiences for the last half-century, teams up with the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble to bring A Mediterranean Christmas to Memorial Chapel Sunday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m.
Under the direction of Joel Cohen, a leader in medieval and Renaissance musical performance, the program infuses musical scholarship and energy with the unique musical style of the Mediterranean basin.
Said Cohen, “The mark of the Mediterranean is still present in our beliefs and values. Bethlehem is the last exit from the Southeast Expressway.”
Selections feature the languages and cultures of the Latinized areas of southern Europe, blended with the more recent folksongs from oral tradition, offering a rich mix of melodic styles. Narration and storytelling are central to these cultures and their music combines theatrical gestures, dramatic dialogue and rapid, melismatic, vocal notes to express emotion.
“Similar to the Cantigas of King Alfonse the Wise in the thirteenth century,” Cohen continued, “a simple melody, a good story and a choral refrain bring this narrative tradition to a summit of excellence.”
A Mediterranean Christmas features director Joel Cohen, lauta, guitar and voice, assisted by Karim Nagi Mohammed, founding member and director of Sharq on percussion (riqq, tar, darabuka and duff) as well as chifonie. Additional performers include Anne Azéma, Equidad Barès and Anne Harley voice; Hazel Brooks, vielle; Steven Lundahl, recorders, shawm and slide trumpet; Boujemaa Razgui on percussion (tar and darabuka), nay, raita and voice; Kareem Roustom, oud and guitar; and Mehmet Sanlikol, voice, saz and zurna.
The collaboration of The Boston Camerata and Sharq produced the Warner Classics CD, A Mediterranean Christmas, released in November, 2005.
Cohen has appeared with numerous European ensembles and festivals, has recorded more than 30 CDs under his direction and his arrangements of Early American tunes inspired the score to the film Geronimo (1994). A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard, he's well known in Europe as a radio commentator and has received several prestigious awards including the Howard Mayer Brown Award for lifetime achievement in early music.
Concert tickets are free for the Union community, $20 for the general public and $10 for area students. For more information, call 388-6080 or 372-3651; or visit http://www.union.edu/concertseries/.