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Rose Ensemble to perform with St. Olaf Early Music Singers

By David Gonnerman '90
September 30, 2004

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The Rose Ensemble has been called "daring and inventive" by the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The Minneapolis-based Rose Ensemble will present "Cantiga! The Cult of the Virgin" in a concert of choral music on Friday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. in Boe Memorial Chapel at St. Olaf College. The St. Olaf Early Music Singers will join the ensemble for select pieces during the performance. The concert, part of the St. Olaf Artist Series, is free and open to the public.

"We're thrilled to have been invited back to perform at St. Olaf College -- an institution that is internationally known for excellence in music," says Jordan Sramek, artistic director and founder of the ensemble. "We are particularly excited to be working with the St. Olaf Early Music Singers and look forward to performing together with them on stage."

"Cantiga!" is a celebration of ancient Mediterranean vocal and instrumental music. It features Italian spiritual songs and Spanish Cantigas de Santa Maria, performed using many of the typical hand instruments of the time, including tambourines, dumbek (a Middle Eastern goblet-shaped drum) and hurdy-gurdy.

Founded in 1996 by Sramek, The Rose Ensemble has enjoyed an artist residency at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis since 1997, and maintains an active schedule filled with performances and educational programs nationwide. Called "daring and inventive" by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the 12 members of the ensemble have received critical acclaim for their ability to sing both as an ensemble and as individual soloists, while Sramek has been lauded for his diverse programming. A recipient of a Rockefeller "Arts & Religion in the Twin Cities" award and nominated for a "Best Classical Artist" Minnesota Music Award, The Rose Ensemble has made five independently produced recordings.

The St. Olaf Early Music Singers, conducted by Professor of Music Gerald Hoekstra, focuses on music of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Performances range outside that repertory and have included American parlor songs and contemporary chamber music. The ensemble performs most of its music as a choral group, but students also have the opportunity to perform madrigals and other music appropriate for smaller ensembles or as soloists with early instruments.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.