Early Music America Spring 2014 - (Page 16)

proﬁle New works and arrangements for recorder ensemble Compositions by Frances Blaker Paul Ashford Corlu Collier Hendrik de Regt Harold Owen Michael Purves-Smith and others Inquiries: Corlu Collier PMB 309 2226 N Coast Hwy Newport, Oregon 97365 www.lostintimepress.com corlu@actionnet.net 16 Spring 2014 Early Music America Choral Conductor Amelia LeClair A new recording by her group, Cappella Clausura, features madrigals composed by an astonishing teenager s CHORAL CONDUCTOR Amelia LeClair Monson, Candace Smith, Judith Tick, was browsing the music bins at the Jane Bowers, and Susan Mardinly. Meanwhile, LeClair's children were 2007 BEMF Exhibition, her interest was growing up, and, she says, "I could no piqued by a Broude edition of the longer not do music, and I discovered Ghirlanda de Madrigali a quattro voci by that early music was where I lived." She Vittoria Aleotti, a Renaissance prodigy went into "battle mode, relearning and who composed the set at the age of 14. honing my skills in theLeClair is the founding director of Cappella ory, solfege, and perClausura, an early music formance practice." And vocal ensemble that she came to feel that researches and focusing on music by performs music by women would be a gratwomen composers. She ifying way to make a had never heard of unique contribution and Aleotti before, but she to bring together the fell in love with the threads of her life. madrigals and At age 50, she entered programmed six of the New England Conthem for a concert she servatory's masters procalled "Passionately gram in choral conductUnConventional." ing, where, as she "It is nothing short of describes it, Simon CarThat concert and a subsequent one in 2011 rington "spotted someextraordinary that a of all 18 madrigals led to thing in my eyes and young girl of 14 the premiere recording agreed to take me on as composed these of the complete Ghirlanhis third choral conbeautifully-crafted, da-funded by a generducting graduate stunuanced, sensuous, ous seed donor and a dent-of the two he had and delicious sweets." contracted to teach!" Kickstarter campaign- to be released this March LeClair made her con-Amelia LeClair ducting debut in 2002 (A Garland of Madrigals, in NEC's Jordan Hall and founded Capavailable at www.clausura.org). pella Clausura in 2004. Their ﬁrst conIn making the CD, LeClair's motivacert was devoted to music from the Vestion was deeply personal. Drawn to pers and motets of Chiara Margarita music at an early age, she found her Cozzolani, while the second included interest in composition and conducting 20th-century works by Emma Lou frustrated by the limited opportunities for women. She took a long hiatus while Diemer. "I always wanted to mix and she raised her family. Years later, she was match the ancient with the modern. inspired and motivated by Laurie Mona- What has happened in the years since is han at Longy and by the work of musithat the middle has opened up as well." cologists whose research brought Today, the ensemble's name still points women's musical history back to life, to her special affection for the composischolars such as Robert Kendrick, Craig tions of cloistered nuns ("in clausura"), A PHOTO: HENDRIK BROEKMAN Lost in Time Press By Carole Friedman http://www.lostintimepress.com http://www.clausura.org http://www.hfgbowmaker.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Early Music America Spring 2014

Editor's Note
Reader Forum
Sound Bytes
Musings: My No Early Music Dream
Profile: Choral Conductor Amelia LeClair
Recording Reviews
Donors ex machina
Three Small Nails
Early Music Is a Capital Idea
Composing Electronic Music for Baroque Instruments
2014 Guide: Workshops & Festivals
Book Reviews
Ad Index
In Conclusion: 4,568 Pages Ago

Early Music America Spring 2014