By K.D. Norris
St. Cecilia Music Center has already taken audiences to New York City this virtual concert season with its Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center series, and this week came the announcement of two streaming concerts presented in collaboration with New York City’s The Town Hall.
Scheduled to be available for St. Cecilia ticketed evenings of music are Portuguese Fado vocalist Mariza in January, 2021, and American folk legend Judy Collins in February, according to a Dec. 2 announcement.
On Jan. 29, 2021, Mariza will be featured in a concert paying tribute to the legendary Fado singer Amália Rodrigues. The concert will be taped in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of The Town Hall series, and will also coincide with the release of Mariza’s new album Mariza sings Amalia.
On Feb. 12, Collins, a folk singing legend familiar to St. Cecilia audiences, will be featured in a virtual concert onstage at The Town Hall in New York City where, according to the announcement, “in 1964 she made her debut that launched her illustrious musical career.” The concert will recreate her 1964 concert at The Town Hall which was her very first solo appearance on one of the great concert stages in New York City.
“We are delighted to feature two outstanding performers in these two concerts aired through The Town Hall in New York City,” Cathy Holbrook, SCMC executive and artistic director, said in supplied material. “We remain committed to keeping music alive in West Michigan with virtual concerts over the next several months until we can host live performances again … We truly appreciate the public’s support as we strive to keep these wonderful events available for all to experience”
St. Cecilia Music Center is one of only five U.S. venues showcasing these concerts, according to the announcement, and “the cost of each ticket reflects the desire to keep the performers’ band, crew and technical support teams employed during this global crisis. A portion of the ticket sales will also help benefit SCMC during this unprecedented time.”
Tickets for each of the virtual concerts are $40 now on sale through St. Cecilia Music Center at this ticket link.
More on Mariza, Amália and Fado
Mariza’s tribute to Amália Rodrigues will highlight the unique, yet echoing relationship of one to the other. The late “Amália”, as she was known, sang her last concert at The Town Hall in New York City in 1994. Now, Mariza has now become the ambassador of Portugal’s Fado music in the 21st century, just as Amália had been in the 20th century.
Mariza has also now recorded an entire album of Amália classics to commemorate her own 20th year of her musical career, as well as celebrate the 100th anniversary of Amália’s birth. The album will be released a few days before the January concert.
Fado music, according to supplied material, is a form of Portuguese singing that is often associated with pubs, cafés, and restaurants. It originated in Portugal around the 1820s, although it is thought to have much earlier origins. Fado is renowned for its expressive and profoundly melancholic character. The singer in Fado music often is accompanied by one or two 12-string guitars, one or two violas, and sometimes a small 8-string bass.
And speaking with singing with guitar …
Judy Collins, often performing with simply an acoustic guitar in her hands, is scheduled to film a show onstage at The Town Hall to be broadcast Feb. 12. For this show, according to supplied material, Collins will recreate her legendary 1964 New York City concert hall debut at The Town Hall.
“What a time that was 1964,” Collins said in supplied material. “I was very nervous since my record company decided to record this concert and put it out as an album. I had just been to a Bob Dylan concert, heard the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carol, and knew I had to record it.
“Making (the 1964 album) album and concert at The Town Hall … was a relief and joyous event. It feels right to go back to the material and time period now with the knowledge and life lessons learned in 2020.”
The concert that Collins is performing at The Town Hall will be recorded for a new vinyl album.
For more information on St. Cecilia Music Center visit scmc-online.org.
