'Berg IJCU To Present Community Series On Clearfield Oratorio
The Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding (IJCU) of Muhlenberg College and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra (LVCO) will present a pre-concert community series culminating in the performance of Andrea Clearfield's "Women of Valor," January 13-17, 2004.Thursday, December 18, 2003 10:16 AM
The Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding (IJCU) of Muhlenberg College and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra (LVCO) will present a pre-concert community series culminating in the performance of Andrea Clearfield's "Women of Valor," January 13-17, 2004. "Women of Valor," an oratorio based on the biblical text of Proverbs 31:10-31, will be performed Friday and Saturday, January 16-17 by the LVCO.
The following events at Muhlenberg College are free and open to the public:
Rabbi's Forum, Tuesday, January 13, 7:30 p.m., Miller Forum, Moyer Hall Rabbi Daniel Feder of Allentown's Congregation Keneseth Israel will describe the biblical study process of "midrash" and the sources of the oratorio's libretto.
Third Friday Forum, Friday, January 16, 12 noon, Seegers 108-110
Andrea Clearfield will discuss the process by which she composed the libretto for "Women of Valor," selecting the figures on which she focused and the text she uses to present them. LVCO Maestro Donald Spieth will lead the audience into the world of performance preparation, addressing issues of interpretation that face a conductor and orchestra.
Pre-concert Lectures, Friday, January 16, and Saturday, January 17, 7 p.m., Recital Hall, Baker Center for the Arts
In the familiar format of a pre-concert lecture, Clearfield will lead her audience through the music of "Women of Valor," alerting them to themes and their elaborations, dynamics, and the design of her piece.
Tickets for the LVCO concerts, January 16-17, 8 p.m., in the Empie Theatre, Baker Center for the Arts, are available through the LVCO box office, 610-266-8555. Performances also will include works by Tchaikovsky, with violin soloist Michael Gillette.
Andrea Clearfield is a summa cum laude member of Muhlenberg's Class of 1982. She has received fellowships in composition from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers on six separate occasions.
For more information about the community series, please call the IJCU at 484-664-3470.
