Pentimento: ‘Play’d in Massachusetts: American Music from 1620-1820’ – Sunday Afternoon at the ‘Greenough House Parlor Concert

The history of American music parallels the history of the nation. Colonials brought the music of their homelands to the earliest permanent settlements: English in Jamestown & Plimoth, Dutch in New Amsterdam, Moravian in Bethehem. By the mid 18th century, New England composers such as William Billings and Daniel Read introduced choral music with a uniquely American sound (hymns and ‘fugueing’ tunes), street ballads celebrated the Boston Tea Party and Massachusetts Liberty, and New England dancing masters contributed fiddle tunes.

‘Play’d in Massachusetts’ is a sort of ‘tasting menu’ of music heard in the Bay State. Beginning with the metrical Psalms of the Bay Psalter (the earliest book printed in MA), to broadside ballads (one by Benjamin Franklin!) and English country dances, we’ll include music for a Moravian wedding celebration, a duo by Anne Ford for English guitar (a wire-strung plucked instrument) and flute, songs from Boston which fueled the Revolution, and a flute sonata by the Scottish General John Reid (who had planned to retire in upstate NY until he ended up on the wrong side of the conflict).

The second half of the program will include both English imports which were performed in America (a sonata for guitar and flute of J.C. Bach and Irish & Scottish tunes set by Burk Thumoth) and music of Francis Hopkinson, the first published American-born composer. A selection of songs and instrumental pieces published in the US (including an elegy for George Washington) is framed with music performed by some of the earliest European virtuosi to tour the new nation (a duo for flute & guitar by Vidal and our transcription of a quickstep of guitarist A.T. Huerta). Some of this later repertoire may well have graced the parlour of newly built Loring-Greenough House.

Meet Eric and Chris at afternoon tea following the program.

The Sunday Afternoon at the ‘Greenough House series, now in its 14th season,  recreates the atmosphere of 18th and 19th century “musical afternoons” in the 1760 Loring-Greenough House, twice monthly, October to May. Tickets are available at the door: donation $15 ($10 seniors, students and JPTC members). Space is limited; reservations are suggested—call 617-524-3158 or email lghouseconcerts@aim.com.

***

More information about Pentimento…

Pentimento (Italian, repentance). In painting, an underlying image (an earlier painting or drawing) that shows through as the topmost layer of paint becomes transparent with age. These ghostly images reveal the artist’s original concept or intent. In a similar manner, Pentimento strives to make visible the underlying melodies of the highly decorated repertoire.

Eric Haas studied recorder with John Tyson and baroque flute with Sandra Miller. He has taught at New England Conservatory, Tufts University and Wheaton College, as well as numerous early music workshops, including Pinewoods, Amherst Early Music, the Long Island Recorder Festival and the Mideast Workshop. Mr. Haas has performed on both recorder and early flutes with Emmanuel Music, the Ocean State Chamber Orchestra, La Sonnerie and now Pentimento. He served for many years as Music Director of the Boston Recorder Society and is on the staff of the von Huene Workshop, Inc.

Olav Chris Henriksen, acclaimed throughout Europe and North America as a soloist on lute, theorbo and early guitars, is also a much sought-after ensemble player, performing & recording with the Boston Camerata, Handel and Haydn Society, Waverly Consort, Boston Baroque, Four Nations Ensemble, Les Idées Heureuses, and Chanticleer, among others. Recent performances include Handel’s Ariodante with Emmanuel Music, as well as an appearance at the 2007 Spokane Bach Festival, and concerts with the Boston Camerata at the Théâtre de la Ville (Paris) and the “Octobre en Normandie” festival. Mr. Henriksen’s solo recording, La Guitarre Royalle: French Baroque and Classical Guitar Music, on the Museum Music label, was released in October 2000; he has also recorded for Centaur, Nonesuch, Erato, Simax, Telarc and Decca. He performs frequently at the Music of Fine Arts, Boston, in recitals and lecture-demonstrations from the Museum’s own collection. He has lectured at Harvard University, Cambridge; Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Musikkhögskolen, Oslo; Aston Magna Academy, Rutgers University; and Lincoln Center Institute, New York. He teaches at the Boston Conservatory and the University of Southern Maine. The Boston Herald praised his playing, saying, “Henriksen was able to dazzle with his virtuosity in the fantastical figurations of John Dowland’s solo Fantasy for lute and Kapsberger’s similarly brilliant Toccata prima.”