Camerata d’Amici to Perform Winter Concert in Wilton

Choral group Camerata d’Amici is proud to present its winter concert “My Singing Soul” on Sunday, March 1, 2020, at 4 p.m. at Wilton Presbyterian Church, 48 New Canaan Road, Wilton, CT. Conducted by artistic director Kristin Sponheim, the program will feature a diverse repertoire of music that gives voice to the soul.  

Our soul sings through all the chapters of our lives, be it our challenges, our doubts, our joys. Sunday’s concert represents this breadth of experience.  We open with a set of pieces that evoke the excitement and apprehension that are part of discovery and new horizons. The women of Camerata will sing “Song of Miriam” (Elaine Hagenberg), which expresses the thrill of the unknown, along with a bit of fear, and ultimately confidence.  

The concert continues with a set of pieces that portrays life’s small joys.  Z. Randall Stroope’s “The Pasture,” a setting of a poem by Robert Frost, communicates the connection felt when sharing every-day tasks with a loved one. The musical setting is lush and immediate, with gorgeous melody and unison singing.

The second half of the concert begins with sacred pieces about God’s presence in our lives. “Even when He is Silent” (Kim André Arnesen) speaks to hope and God’s presence even in the darkest of times.  In “Ubi caritas,” Maurice Duruflé uses medieval plainchant, coupled with modern harmonies, creating a twentieth-century gem that is deeply moving. 

The men of Camerata will sing “In His Care-O,” a robust spiritual that captures the light-heartedness of our spirit, full of optimism and strength. The program concludes with the uplifting “Ain-a That Good News,” arranged by Stacey Gibbs for a cappellachoir. 

Now in its fourteenth season, Camerata d’Amici is an auditioned choir made up of singers from Fairfield and Westchester counties. “My Singing Soul” will feature performances by the full group and a select chamber ensemble, men’s and women’s pieces, and vocal solos by Thomas Carr (Danbury), Mia Herstatt (Redding), Maura Donnelly O’Halloran (Wilton), Doug Planker (Monroe), Juliet Pratt (Ridgefield), and Dan Wellers (Danbury).  The choir will be accompanied by Margarita Nuller.

Tickets at the door are $25 for adults and $10 for youth 18 and under.  Advance tickets, with a reduced ticket price of $20 for adults, may be purchased at cameratadamici.org/current-season, or by check made payable to Camerata d’Amici at P.O. Box 74, Ridgefield, CT 06877.  Online tickets are available through Friday, February 28.  Follow Camerata d’Amici on Facebook and YouTube. and listen to past performances on YouTube.