This concert marks a milestone, both for the opera, which is an enormous project, and also for The Ambrosia Ensemble itself. Composing and producing a full-length chamber opera is obviously no small task, spanning several years of research, the drafting of Tiziana DellaRovere's brilliant libretto, all the composition and rehearsal required to put on this “sneak-preview” version tomorrow, and all the composition and production that is still yet to come. Tomorrow, we will invite the public to peak through the window into that massive project by presenting excerpts of what I believe are some of the strongest works that I have composed to date.

Tomorrow is also a milestone for The Ambrosia Ensemble, which began as an 8-piece a cappella men’s choir and which will perform tomorrow as a mixed choir, supported by a 13-piece orchestra and featuring four remarkable soloists. It also marks the latest event in my evolving exploration of what “sacred music” means in a modern context, an exploration that inspired the creation of The Ambrosia Ensemble in the first place and a topic that I will certainly address in a future blog post.

For those of you in the Eugene Oregon area, I invite you to join us tomorrow and

For complete concert information, please click here.

Click here for more info about my Ave Maria and the beautiful poetry and artwork by Tiziana DellaRovere, and click here for more about the Portland Vocal Consort. Concert times/locations are as follows:

My new website for The Canticle of the Black Madonna is up and running! It features an in-depth explanation of the project in all its many dimensions, as well as videos and links exploring the factual basic of this fictional work and a blog to provide updates about the many events and people who are contributing to the creation of an incredible piece of art.

The Canticle of the Black Madonna is a unique opera-oratorio for five soloists, chamber orchestra, and choir. Tiziana has already completed the libretto, and it’s remarkable, combining rich poetry, classical opera influences, sacred ceremony and rituals of initiation, and a riveting contemporary storyline about a U.S. combat vet and the spiritual/psychological journey that ultimately brings healing to him, his wife, and the world around them.

For more info, please visit the website at www.canticleoftheblackmadonna.com

http://listn.to/ethangm

"Bucolic Dances" by Tiziana DellaRovere

My new arrangement of my Bucolic Dances was premiered in May, 2011. Many thanks to Seth Stewart and the Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble for programming this piece.

Bucolic Dances was written in 2008 for a reading session with Beta Collide, a professional ensemble which at that time comprised flute, trumpet, piano, and bass, and was performed by the Fireworks Ensemble in 2009. In March, 2010, I arranged it for flute, clarinet, piano, and cello on the occasion of a masterclass with Composer John Harbison and a new concert series called Music on the McKenzie.

In the fall of 2010, Tiziana DellaRovere painted an original work, also entitled “Bucolic Dances,” for exhibition during a performance of the work.

I will post all recordings of Bucolic Dances here as they become available.

I’ll post more details HERE as they become available.