Join Capital City Concerts this Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 pm, for a ONE-TIME concert entitled "Poem Music"at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Pianist Jeffrey Chappell is joined by soprano Mary Bonhag, bassist Evan Premo, and flutist Karen Kevra, in a program that celebrates poetry in music during Montpelier's annual Poem City celebration. There will be poetry-inspired works, including Handel's beloved "Harmonious Blacksmith Variations" for solo piano, Gabriel Fauré's "Élégie" for bass and piano, Liszt's "Herculean Concert Paraphrase of the Waltz" from Gounod's “Faust” for solo piano, and settings of Verlaine poetry by Claude Debussy for soprano and piano.
This concert will mark the world-premiere of "Songs From a Mountain Recluse" - a Capital City Concerts-commissioned song cycle by composer Evan Premo - centered on poems by the beloved Vermont poet, David Budbill, who died in 2016. According to Nadine Budbill, the poet's daughter, “My Father lived and breathed music, be it playing the saxophone, trumpet, shakuhachi, bells and bowls, or collaborating with musicians who infused his poetry with sound. As one of his poems concludes, "Because we will always have a suffering world, we must also always have a song." Bringing his poems to life though music is the perfect way to honor and remember him.”

For more information and to charge tickets ($15-$25) go to www.capitalcityconcerts.org. Tickets may also be purchased (cash or check only) in person at Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, and at the door while they last.

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Jan 16, 2025, 7 to 8 PM