Devotion & Contemplation
Membra Jesu nostri, BuxWV 75

Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 8 p.m. on YouTube
Recorded at The Franciscan Monastery

Dieterich Buxtehude (c.1637/39–1707)
Membra Jesu nostri, BuxWV 75

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The North German composer Dieterich Buxtehude (c.1637/39–1707) was held in such high reverence by the 20-year-old Johann Sebastian Bach that he walked 250 miles from Arnstadt to Lübeck to hear the great organist/composer. Membra Jesu nostri is an exquisite cycle of seven short cantatas, each a contemplation of a different part of the body of Christ. Derived from a thirteenth-century poem, the work evinces a vast spectrum of divinely inspired emotion and introspective beauty.

Read the Program Notes

Vocalists:
Sopranos: Margot Rood & Sara MacKimmie 

Countertenor: Reginald Mobley 

Tenor: Jacob Perry, Jr.

Bass: Jonathan Woody

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Aaron Westman VIOLIN

Henry Lebedinsky HARPSICHORD

William Skeen VIOLA DA GAMBA AND VIOLONCELLO

Kevin Cooper CLASSICAL & BAROQUE GUITARIST

Anna Washburn VIOLIN AND VIOLA

Natalie Carducci VIOLIN

Katherine Kyme VIOLA

Programme

Manuel de Zumaya Como aunque culpa

Anonymous Canción a 3

Esteban Salas Taedat animam meam

Anonymous Trio sonata in F

Esteban Salas ¡Tu, mi Díos, entre pajas!

INTERMISSION

José Mauricio Nuñes Garcia Te, Christe, solum novimus

Justin Holland Dream Faces

Florence B. Price

Five Folksongs in Counterpoint

Clementine

Shortnin’ Bread. Allegro

Scott Joplin (arr. Lebedinsky) Bethena, a concert waltz

Price (arr. Agave Baroque)

Resignation

Song to the Dark Virgin

The White Rose

Tobacco

Out of the South Blew a Wind

Sympathy

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Incomparable countertenor Reginald L. Mobley joins Agave to celebrate Black and Latino composers from ​North and South America, centering on the United States, and with stops in Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

The third recording project in their ongoing collaboration to present music by brilliant, yet underrepresented composers explores how the blending of European, African, and indigenous styles created uniquely American sounds through the ages. Among the many treasures of the repertoire are an unexpected and sentimental side of Scott Joplin, a song by Black American guitar virtuoso Justin Holland, two works by the earliest known Cuban classical composer, and a set of songs by the extraordinary Florence B. Price, who seamlessly blended Romantic art song and Spirituals into a sound all her own.

17th Century works

Jonathan Woody Nigra Sum Sed Formosa: A Fantasia on Microaggressions

Jonathan Woody BASS BARITONE

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Yulia Van Doren SOPRANO

Aaron Sheehan TENOR

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This program includes solos, duets, and ensembles from the 17th-century Italian repertoire, and will feature Nigra Sum Sed Formosa: A Fantasia on Microaggressions. Composed by bass baritone Jonathan Woody with text compiled by countertenor Reggie Mobley, this new work combines a contemporary topic with the aesthetics of a renaissance motet.

Livestream

Pre-Emancipation - Folk Spirituals

Oratorio Chorale

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Jonathan Woody BASS-BARITONE

Samuel James

JanaeSound

Daniel Minter VISUAL ARTIST

Professor Judith Casselberry HISTORICAL COMMENTARY

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Amazing Grace: The American Spiritual is a multimedia concert that traces the history of Black spirituals from Pre-Emancipation folk singing to the Black Lives Matter movement featuring the Oratorio Chorale and renowned activist-musicians Reginald Mobley, Jonathan Woody, Samuel James, and JanaeSound. As a companion to the concert, Amazing Grace includes a webpage of anti-racism learning opportunities including artist talks; recommended reading, podcast, music, movie, and documentary lists; highlights of historical sites in Maine pertinent to the African American experience; and ways to connect to Maine-based advocacy organizations.

THIS PROGRAM IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE SANFORD PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, THE HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY’S EVERY VOICE PROGRAM, AND INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE.

Handel Messiah, Part I and ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus

Ian Watson CONDUCTOR

Joélle Harvey SOPRANO

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Aaron Sheehan TENOR

Sumner Thompson BARITONE

Members of the H+H Orchestra and Chorus

Watch now on Facebook, YouTube, or Vimeo

In collaboration with GBH, H+H invites you to join us for a special televised and streaming performance of Handel’s Messiah, an uplifting and joyous experience for a holiday season unlike any other. This triumphant concert is our free gift to the community, for all to enjoy. Handel’s Messiah, one of the most beloved holiday traditions worldwide, begins with the phrase “Comfort ye my people.” In a year where people need comfort more than ever, GBH and H+H join forces to bring alive this beloved holiday tradition. The collaboration displays innovative technology and the resilience of our musicians, even through a global pandemic. This is H+H’s 167th consecutive year performing Handel’s masterpiece.

Handel Messiah highlights

Stefanie True SOPRANO

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Andrew Tortise TENOR

Joshua Bloom BARITONE

Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya FORTEPIANO

Richard Egarr FORTEPIANO & HARPSICHORD

with

David Belkovski HARPSICHORD

Anthony Romaniuk ORGAN

Members of the H+H Orchestra and Chorus

Watch now

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Aaron Westman VIOLIN

Henry Lebedinsky HARPSICHORD

William Skeen VIOLA DA GAMBA AND VIOLONCELLO

Kevin Cooper CLASSICAL & BAROQUE GUITARIST

Anna Washburn VIOLIN AND VIOLA

Natalie Carducci VIOLIN

Katherine Kyme VIOLA

Programme

Manuel de Zumaya Como aunque culpa

Anonymous Canción a 3

Esteban Salas Taedat animam meam

Anonymous Trio sonata in F

Esteban Salas ¡Tu, mi Díos, entre pajas!

INTERMISSION

José Mauricio Nuñes Garcia Te, Christe, solum novimus

Justin Holland Dream Faces

Florence B. Price

Five Folksongs in Counterpoint

Clementine

Shortnin’ Bread. Allegro

Scott Joplin (arr. Lebedinsky) Bethena, a concert waltz

Price (arr. Agave Baroque)

Resignation

Song to the Dark Virgin

The White Rose

Tobacco

Out of the South Blew a Wind

Sympathy

Book now

Incomparable countertenor Reginald L. Mobley joins Agave to celebrate Black and Latino composers from ​North and South America, centering on the United States, and with stops in Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

The third recording project in their ongoing collaboration to present music by brilliant, yet underrepresented composers explores how the blending of European, African, and indigenous styles created uniquely American sounds through the ages. Among the many treasures of the repertoire are an unexpected and sentimental side of Scott Joplin, a song by Black American guitar virtuoso Justin Holland, two works by the earliest known Cuban classical composer, and a set of songs by the extraordinary Florence B. Price, who seamlessly blended Romantic art song and Spirituals into a sound all her own.

Voices

Kim Leeds
Jason McStoots
Reginald Mobley
Margot Rood
Aaron Sheehan
Sonja DuToit Tengblad
Sumner Thompson
Teresa Wakim

INSTRUMENTALISTS

Laura Jeppesen REBEC & FIDDLE
Scott Metcalfe FIDDLE & HARP
Charles Weaver LUTE

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Songs by Gilles Binchois, Guillaume Du Fay & others, c.1420-50

An evening of Baroque arias

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Amanda Crider MEZZO-SOPRANO

Joe Monticello FLUTE

Bryan Hayslett CELLO

Claudia Cagnassone VIOLIN

Brandon Acker GUITAR

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We will explore the extravagance & drama of Baroque music with mezzo-soprano, Amanda Crider*and counter-tenor, Reginald Mobley accompanied by musimelange artists**. Together they will balance the opposites of the Baroque style for a brilliant and luscious performance. Chef Vincent Catala will transport you to Italy with his creative hors d’œuvres prepared to pair the ornaments & embellishment techniques of the Baroque era followed by everyone’s favorite scrumptious desserts by EverCook. The pairing of senses will be accompanied by a fresh and light selection of wines offered by Barton & Guestier.

Bach B Minor Mass

Spire Chamber Ensemble

Arwen Myers SOPRANO

Nola Richardson SOPRANO

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Edmund Milly BARITONE

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When Bach assembled the B-minor Mass in his final years, he crystallized his lifelong mission to express faith through music into one staggering compendium of intellectual and spiritual exaltation. Thunderous fugues and brilliant choruses wrest maximal impact from the combined forces of choir and orchestra, while focused solos for voices and their instrumental companions rival any opera in terms of tenderness and dramatic presence. The Mass is not a singular object; it is a synthesis of Bach’s music going back 35 years, built upon techniques and trends developed over centuries. The B-minor Mass is a pillar of human achievement on par with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling or Shakespeare’s collection of plays, and to witness it live is quite simply an essential life experience.

Bach B Minor Mass

Arwen Myers SOPRANO

Nola Richardson SOPRANO

Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR

Edmund BARITONE

Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya FORTEPIANO

Richard Egarr FORTEPIANO & HARPSICHORD

with

David Belkovski HARPSICHORD

Anthony Romaniuk ORGAN

Book now

When Bach assembled the B-minor Mass in his final years, he crystallized his lifelong mission to express faith through music into one staggering compendium of intellectual and spiritual exaltation. Thunderous fugues and brilliant choruses wrest maximal impact from the combined forces of choir and orchestra, while focused solos for voices and their instrumental companions rival any opera in terms of tenderness and dramatic presence. The Mass is not a singular object; it is a synthesis of Bach’s music going back 35 years, built upon techniques and trends developed over centuries. The B-minor Mass is a pillar of human achievement on par with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling or Shakespeare’s collection of plays, and to witness it live is quite simply an essential life experience.