A little bit of trivia: Tiffany performed the premiere of this piece way back in 2002 when it was written with piano accompaniment! Many thanks for keeping this piece going all these years.

The concert was an impressive mix of older and newer material, including a few songs by Chopin! I had always heard he wrote a few songs, but had never heard them before.

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Of the nine pieces performed, three had vocal components. Particularly lovely were Three Elegies composed by Richard Russell, settings of poems by Emily Dickinson, Chidiock Tichborne and Hart Crane. These graceful and dramatic airs had in common the theme of loss and acceptance. Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano, had a lovely voice and clear enunciation. Stephen Solook, percussionist, lent intensity to the Dickinson poem, and, playing marimbas, provided the melodic underpinnings for the other two poems.

In reposting this paragraph, I’ve corrected a few of the typos from the original review. The whole thing can be found here.

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The Aurora Borealis Duo, a resident ensemble from New York City, will perform at St. Anselm Parish in Dearborn, MI, on Tuesday July 3. This critically acclaimed duo features soprano, Tiffany DuMouchelle and marimbist, Stephen Solook. Ms. DuMouchelle and Mr. Solook have been featured performers at such esteemed venues as: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Verizon Hall, The Consulate of the Republic of Poland, and Symphony Space. Ms. DuMouchelle, recipient of the presigious Richard F. Gold Carreer Grant and winner of the 2006 Mannes Concerto Competition, is equally at home in concert and chamber repertoire as on the operatic stage, where she has performed such roles as: Pamina, Susanna, and Anne Truelove. Mr. Solook, is an active soloist and chamber collaborator in classical and world music. He has recently joined the Jose Limon Dance Company in their major revival of “Lament“for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias. He has also performed in concert with such renowned artists as Judy Collins, Glen Velez, Lauren Flanigen, and Bob Becker, and under such conductors as John Rutter, Edin Outwater, and Paul Nadler. Aurora Borealis will present an eclectic program featuring arrangements of classical standards from opera and art song, along with Broadway favorites and new works by American composers. For more information about the duo, please go to: auroraborealisduo.com.
When: 7pm, Tuesday July 3, 2007.
Where: St. Anselm Parish, 17650 W. Outer Drive, Dearborn Heights.
Admission: $15/Adults; $10/Students and Senior (Suggested Donation).

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Tiffany DuMouchelle and Stephen Solook

Here’s a pic from the concert, which took place in the intimate Goldmark Hall of Mannes College of Music in New York on March 25, 2007.

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Tiffany DuMouchelle, Stephen Solook

“Three Elegies” is a song cycle of three short pieces: “I Died for Beauty” (text by Emily Dickinson), “Tichborne’s Elegy” (text by Chidiock Tichborne) and “Exile (After the Chinese)” (text by Hart Crane).

Other composers being performed are Keith Fitch, Jorge Sosa, Seth Rozanoff, and Raphael Fusco. Adam Berkowitz will play clarinet on several pieces, as well.

Mannes College’s Concert Hall is on the second floor at 150 West 85th Street, New York City. This is a free concert!

But if you are unable to attend, this same piece, with the same performers, will be performed March 9, 2007 at 7:30pm at the Thalia at Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th Street, in a concert presented by the New York Composers Circle (www.nycomposerscircle.org). Suggested contribution for that concert is $15.

I hope to see you at one of these concerts!

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