Music, Medicine, Writing, Travel
Music, Medicine, Writing, Travel |
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"Fall Concert with Alto Nancy Pfeffer... Soprano Meredith Kennedy and alto Nancy Pfeffer perform some of their favorite music in concert, in their own classical/folk/theatre/fusion/cross-over style. From the classic beauty of Mozart and Monteverdi and the timeless Flower Duet, to the sweet nostalgia of Dan Fogelberg and Middle-Earth mystery of Lord of the Rings, Meredith and Nancy create their own unique harmonies and style. Movie tunes, original compositions and arrangements, all suffused with their rich soprano/alto harmony, will make this a concert not to be missed. A portion of the proceeds will benefit local and international charitable projects. FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2009, 8 PM and SUNDAY OCTOBER 4, AT 4 PM. Tickets: www.plays411.com/dressedinblack or call (323)960-7719 Tickets $20 at the door |
| PRESS RELEASE: “Dressed in Black” What do a love of music and the board game “Scrabble” have to do with the upcoming concert, “Dressed in Black”? Apparently everything, according to singers Meredith Kennedy and Nancy Pfeffer. Both are members of the Long Beach Camerata Singers, a sixty member community choir, in which Meredith sings soprano and Nancy sings alto. Vocally they complement each other, with Meredith usually singing melody (sopranos always hog the melody) and Nancy’s lovely contralto providing her own unique harmonization. “Meredith loves to play “Scrabble” and had sent out an e-mail to her fellow choir members wondering if anyone wanted to meet before rehearsals for food and a few games,” Nancy states. “I responded with a yes; and a friendship was born.” “We started with “Scrabble” and then moved on to our love of music and started singing together outside of the choir,” adds Meredith. “What started out as rehearsing and just the joy of singing has turned into a CD and now a concert.” The "Dressed in Black" concert - a cabaret of duets and comedy - premiered in Long Beach in June, and is now back by popular demand for a second and third performance, October 2nd and 4th. Meredith, a tall blond with abundant energy and varied interests; and Nancy, the polished professional with a dazzling smile and quiet humor; may seem at first to be an odd pairing. Meredith lives in multi locations, has multi jobs and careers, and is single; Nancy lives in Long Beach with her husband, and one ‘regular’ job. “I tend to keep a little busy,” Meredith acknowledges. “One of my friends calls my life the ‘Meredithlogue’ as in ‘travelogue’, since I’m always traveling, and I tend to have a dozen projects going on at once. Thank heavens Nancy’s strong hold on normalcy keeps me focused.” “It’s true,” Nancy confirms. “When the idea for a CD and a concert first came up Meredith was in Africa teaching.” The concert ‘Dressed in Black’ is the result of months of planning, rehearsing, recording, and laughing. The CD will be available for purchase at the concert as well, and is currently available on ‘CDBaby.com:' http://cdbaby.com/cd/kennedypfeffer. “We’re having a great time,” Meredith states. “We have wonderful instrumentalists accompanying us, as well as an eight member choir. The concert includes some of our favorite music from classical to original compositions, to movie tunes, and love songs. Two songs are world premiers by composer David Avshalomov, with lyrics I wrote while sitting in an airport in Egypt. We’re also singing an Elvish song from Lord of the Rings, arranged for duet, choir and strings, and the addition of the harp gives the whole thing a delightfully other-world quality. Add in a little humor, a pink cowboy hat, some photo montages, and it will be a night of music and fun.” Disclaimer from Nancy: “I thought we agreed that awful hat was OUT.” Meredith: "Oh, yeah, that's right. There will be no tacky pink cowboy hat, zebra-striped cowboy boots or unscheduled appearances by Pearlene." Nancy: "There better not be!" Meredith: "But if--I'm just saying--theoretically, that IF Pearlene were to possibly make an appearance, Pearlene MIGHT have new material. That's all I'm saying." Nancy: "Oh, brother." The concert will benefit a local charity: The Friends of Long Beach Animals, www.friendsoflongbeachanimals.org. There will be a donation box at the concert to encourage additional tax deductible donations, and all guests are invited for a reception after the program. DRESSED IN BLACK: FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2009, 8 PM and SUNDAY OCTOBER 4, AT 4 PM.
Meredith Kennedy, Soprano TWO SINGERS. SEVEN LANGUAGES. AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND COMEDY
Bayshore Community Church For tickets: www.plays411.com/dressedinblack or call (323)960-7719 |
| Review of the Spring Concert: “Dressed in Black” As a busy mother of three young children, I deeply appreciate my breaks when they manifest. I prize my time, and have high expectations for what fills it. I want depth, levity, something to savor, and something to smile about… an evening that's as likely to make me laugh as it is to bring a tear to my eye. All in all, an experience that leaves me refreshed, happy, and appreciative. On a recent trip to Long Beach, California, I had one such evening.
The Billing: Dressed In BlackI was intrigued! The venue simple, unpretentious, the price reasonable, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but couldn't resist. From the moment Meredith Kennedy, Soprano, and Nancy Pfeffer, Alto, took the stage, I found myself drawn into the heart of why they were there; namely, to share their great love of music with all of us. The typical, stuffy, "I'm here to be entertained, you're here to entertain me" vanished in seconds as we, the audience, all felt invited as friends to join them on their journey through classical, pop, folk, movie tunes, songs of love, and more! From the opening piece, Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart, to their final Elvish Ensemble (Dreams of Elbereth from 'Lord of the Rings'), these two women clearly demonstrate their talent as classically trained vocalists. Ms. Kennedy's bright soprano sails effortlessly through works as challenging and diverse as Lasciatemi Morire by Monteverdi and Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, and Ms. Pfeffer's alto is so smooth and mellow, it brings to mind rich cream in coffee, never overpowering, always blending and complementing each duet beautifully! From their portrayal of hissing, spatting felines in Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti by Rossini, to their flawless and truly lovely performance of Sous le dome epais by Delibes, I was captivated by not only the quality of their performance, but also by the authenticity of their friendship with one another and their expressed goal of simply sharing what they clearly delight in. I began to feel like a friend invited to a party. As I overheard one gentleman in the audience say with a chuckle, "I feel as though I've been invited to their family reunion." I believe this sentiment comes from the fact that this event has something for everyone to enjoy, from the sublime and cerebral, to the quirky and sentimental. Throw in a dash of "Pearlene" (you'll have to attend to meet this zebra-stripe booted, mini-skirt and pink cowboy hat wearing diva from the south), a splash of frantic bride (the hysterical wedding song performed by Meredith is not to be missed, and reportedly the only time you'll see her in a wedding gown!), a good helping of classical with a twist (note the feline accoutrements for two of the pieces), and their hauntingly beautiful performances of Falling Slowly (from 'Once') and Souvenirs (Dan Fogelberg). On a journey through seven languages and at least that many genres, I was treated to what is an oftentimes rare event… an evening of pure, unadulterated entertainment… a night I won't soon forget! Meredith Kennedy and Nancy Pfeffer, through their show Dressed In Black, did in fact deliver it all!!!
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