Organized in 1985, Tapestry celebrated it's twentieth anniversary on June 26, 2005, with a free concert at the Stone Presbyterian Church in Clinton, NY. Former singers were invited to join Tapestry for two numbers which were directed by Tapestry's previous Director, JoElyn Wakefield Wright.

Program Notes:

     We welcome you to this concert, celebrating Tapestry’s Twentieth Anniversary.

     When our 1985 meeting with Peter Caroli ended, we were ready to organize a small choral ensemble that would specialize in early music. Our primary goal was to perform   a cappella choral music to the best of our ability. Our dual challenge was to find singers who were willing to work hard, learning and polishing this music, and then to attract an audience of appreciative music lovers, who would enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed singing.

     We feel we have succeeded, thanks to you who have faithfully attended our concerts, and to all the wonderful singers who have performed for you over the past twenty years.

     Each concert requires hours of planning by the director and more hours of intense rehearsal with the singers. Some of us struggle with foreign languages but, we all agree, Welsh has been the most difficult. Jay has introduced us to early manuscripts with no bar lines, and Gregorian Chant (unison singing is very difficult). We often transpose pieces into a different key to accommodate the vocal ranges of our altos and sopranos. Each concert is a wonderful learning experience.

     None of this could have happened without the support and direction of JoElyn, who, in 1986, agreed only to see us through a commitment to Munson Williams Proctor Institute (but stayed on for six years); and Jay, who shares his amazing knowledge of early music and patiently corrects our mistakes. We thank you all.

                                                                           Margaret and Ron Bornick
 

Program Notes  by   Jay Swain

      Despite its 22 iterations in Josquin Desprez’ monumental motet and its concluding plaint in William Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus, the phrase Miserere mei (“have mercy on me”) was never meant to be a theme for today’s program. It is merely a coincidence. Today’s selections were chosen, not by the director as usual, but by the members of Tapestry, to represent some high points and favorite works of the ensemble’s 20 years.

      The voting does the membership proud. One would expect the Byrd, Orlando Gibbons’ immortal The Silver Swan and a few other standards, but the recall of Tapestry’s 10th year performance of Henry Purcell’s complete Dido and Aeneas and the election of highly elaborate madrigals such as Though Amaryllis Dance and Draw On Sweet Night, not to mention the challenge of the Josquin, speak to an imagination and sophistication of taste that few vocal directors can enjoy. That is but one reason that I count my 13 years directing Tapestry as a privilege and a most important component of my own musical education.
 

Return to Anniversary Program
Return to Tapestry's Home Page