An evening of enchantment and song in Germantown

-Renaissance lute songs by John Dowland
-Settings of Shakespeare texts by Jean Sibelius and Marc Blitzstein
-Parlor songs as arranged by Justin Holland
-Spanish-language ballads by Manuel Ponce and María Grever
-Folk songs by Victor Jara, Phil Ochs, and Pete Seeger

This program includes music spanning five centuries, from the 1500s to the 1900s. The oldest music on the program comes from John Dowland, the proto-singer-songwriter and a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Next in the program, Shakespeare’s texts receive a more contemporary treatment by 20th century composers Jean Sibelius and Marc Blitzstein.

Justin Holland, one of the first pioneers of the classical guitar in the US, is at the center of the next set of songs. As a Black man in the 1800s, Holland broke barriers by being one of the premier publishers of music for guitar while also being a staunch abolitionist. During a time in which the “Spanish Guitar” was first becoming a popular Instrument to learn in homes throughout the US, Holland published these arrangements of famous parlor songs to be performed for self-study or for social gatherings.

Manuel Ponce and María Grever were two of the most prolific Mexican composers of the 20th century. Both composers blended European classical music elements with Mexican folk song traditions.

The program closes with protest folk songs of the 1960s and 70s by Victor Jara, Phil Ochs, and Pete Seeger.