Bennington is privileged to have the opportunity to see Vermont's Montpelier-based choral group, Counterpoint, performing at Bennington Theater on Saturday, July 13th, at 2:30 PM.

Counterpoint's dual mission is to perform choral chamber music and to engage with students and high school choruses while their ears and minds are open to new musical possibilities. They perform throughout New England and the northeast, from small. local venues to major concert halls with symphonic orchestras. They've recorded 7 CDs with Albany Records and have independently-produced 4 others.

Their diverse repertoire ranges from folksongs from around the world, African-American spirituals, multi-traditional sacred music, and concert works by classical and contemporary composers.

Now under the direction of Artistic Director Nathaniel G. Lew (formerly a singer and Ass't. Artistic Director with the group), Counterpoint was founded by renowned choral director, conductor, and arranger Robert DeCormier in 2000. He was involved in the creation of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus and, later, drew from their ranks to form Counterpoint.

When Mr. DeCormier was a high school chorus director in Greenwich Village, one of his students was Mary Travers, soon to be the Mary in Peter, Paul, & Mary. He later joined them as their music arranger, a position he held for 30 years. In 2002, at Riley Rink in Manchester, Counterpoint were the backup singers when Peter, Paul, & Mary offered to perform a concert to celebrate Mr. DeCormier's 80th birthday. The group has repeated this role over the years in concerts with Peter Yarrow.

Titled "Brahms and Beethoven: Romani and Scottish Songs", Counterpoint's spring concert features three of Vermont's finest classical instrumentalists who have joined the singers for this fascinating melding of folk traditions and classical music: Johannes Brahms' Romani Songs, a collection of Beethoven's arrangements of Scottish folk songs, and Four Slovak Folksongs by Bela Bartok. In addition are piano trio movements by Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, two of the foremost female German composers of the 19th century.

Laura Markowitz (violin) is a member of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) and other ensembles.
John Dunlop (cello) is a member of the VSO, Burlington Chamber Orchestra, and has worked with Trey Anastasio of Phish on many of his solo albums.
Annemieke Spoelstra McLane, originally from the Netherlands, has performed throughout Europe and is the collaborative pianist at St. Michael's College.

Come to be thrilled by this group recognized for their "clarity, skill, & sophisticated expressiveness" on July 13th. Tickets are available by calling (802)500-5500 or by going to the theater website: http://benningtontheater.org

Event Info

Aug 5, 2024, 5 to 6 PM

Aug 7, 2024, 12 to 1 PM

Aug 10, 2024, 7 to 8:30 PM