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Baroque Festival celebrates Dalton Center's 25th anniversary

Jan. 5, 2007

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University's School of Music will host six lectures, performances and demonstrations during its Baroque Festival, which begins with a lecture Wednesday, Jan. 10, and culminates with a Thursday, Feb. 8, performance by Apollo's Fire, a nationally acclaimed orchestra dedicated to performing music from the Baroque period.

The festival, the first in a yearlong series of activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Dorothy U. Dalton Center, focuses on the musical arts that flourished from 1600 to 1750. It will include study, performance and appreciation of the works of composers such as Bach, Handel, Monteverdi and Vivaldi.

All events will be held in the Dalton Center Recital Hall and are open to the public. Admission is free of charge to all events, except the Feb. 8 performance by Apollo's Fire.

Baroque Festival Events

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 1 p.m.
"Baroque, it's much more than Bach"
The festival will open with a reflective lecture focused on the diversity of musical arts that flourished during the Baroque era. The lecture, led by Dr. Daniel C. Jacobson, professor of music at WMU, will highlight the significant musical developments of the time period. The works of Monteverdi, Vivaldi and Bach will be examined.

Monday, Jan. 29, 8:15 p.m.
"Going for Baroque"
Students and faculty from WMU's School of Music will collaborate to present a recital featuring works either from or inspired by the Baroque period. Coordinated by Lori Sims, John T. Bernhard Professor of Music and award-winning pianist, the concert will include group performances by the WMU Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble and Gold Company. Several WMU faculty members also will give individual performances.

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1 p.m.
"Handel in Early 19th Century England"
The lecture, "Handel in Early 19th Century England: Of Gas Lighting, Royal Taste and Sibling Rivalry," will be led by Stanley C. Pelkey, assistant professor of music at WMU, and will explore some of the ways in which Handel's music came to permeate British culture in the early decades of the 19th century. The discussion will be combined with live musical performances of pieces composed or inspired by Handel.

Friday, Feb. 2, 8:15 p.m.
"We've Got Your Bach!"
The University Chorale, conducted by James K. Bass, interim director of choral activities for the School of Music, and a chamber orchestra of WMU students and faculty will perform the works of Bach. Selected compositions include "Jesu, Meine Freude" and "Brandenburg Concerto #2," among others.

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m.
"Getting a Handel on Baroque"
Apollo's Fire director Jeannette Sorrell and selected musicians from the ensemble will examine the art and performance practices of the Baroque era. Handel's "Fireworks Suite" will serve as the performance model for this discussion, which compares and contrasts issues of importance to present-day performers and audiences of Baroque repertoire.

Thursday, Feb. 8, 8:15 p.m.
Grand Finale Concert

Apollo's Fire, the Cleveland-based Baroque orchestra with chorus, will perform works by Handel, including the "Fireworks Suite" and "Dixit Dominus." The concert officially begins the yearlong celebration of the Dalton Center's 25th anniversary and will be broadcast live on public radio station WMUK 102.1 FM.

General admission seating is $10 and $5 for students and senior citizens. Premium seating is $30. Tickets are available by calling (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858, online at millerauditorium.com, or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office.

Apollo's Fire three-day residency

Apollo's Fire will be at WMU for a three-day residency during the final days of the Baroque Festival. This residency--the most ambitious since the Detroit Symphony was on campus for three days in 1972--will focus on Baroque music and performance practices, and will include master classes, convocations, public performances and classroom visits.

Apollo's Fire at WMU is sponsored by the WMU School of Music's Bullock Performance Institute and is supported by the Chuck and Tucky Elliott Distinguished Visiting Artists Fund and by the Holiday Inn West in Kalamazoo.

Media contact: Kevin West, (269) 387-4678, kevin.west@wmich.edu

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