Last modified: Thursday, March 5, 2009
Baroque trombone ensemble invited to Boston Early Music Festival 'fringe'
The Baroque trombone ensemble ¡Sacabuche!, made up of students and an alumna of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, has been awarded the Early Music America (EMA) "Collegium Musicum Grant," which will enable it to particiate in the fringe festival of the internationally recognized 2009 Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF).
Linda Pearse, a Jacobs School trombone student pursuing a Doctor of Music degree and adjunct lecturer for Early Trombone in the Early Music Institute, formed ¡Sacabuche! in her first year of studies. She recruited players from all three trombone studios and helped them master the technical and stylistic challenges of the instrument and music.
"The purpose of the Early Music America Collegium Musicum Grant is to provide financial support toward the cost of bringing a college or university early music ensemble to perform a fringe concert at the festival," she said. "EMA will also provide publicity and other support for the concert."
The name of the ensemble follows the first appearance of the word "Sacabuche" for trombone and is of Spanish origin, from sacar (to pull out) and buche (from the belly).
The competition is open to all period instrumentalists and singers. This is the first year in which a brass ensemble has been chosen and the first time that the majority of the those participants are undergraduate students. "It is a compliment not only to the Jacobs School's Early Music Institute but also to the trombone area of the Brass Department for providing such fine students," she said.
The performers in ¡Sacabuche! are:
- Linda Pearse, Director/Baroque trombone
- Mike DeWitt, Baroque trombone
- Ray Horton, Baroque trombone
- Greg Jackson, Baroque bass trombone
- Richard Townes III, Baroque trombone
- Elise Figa, Soprano (grant winner)
- Dominic Lim, Countertenor
- Antonio Santos, Baritone
- Jedediah Allen, Bass
- Yonit Kosovske, Organ
The Boston Early Music Festival is the largest, most prestigious early music festival in North America. Pearse said it is "a great honor" to be chosen and adds that the group will try to organize the funds necessary to further assist with travel and accommodation expenses.
¡Sacabuche! will perform a program titled "The Venetian Influence."
The influence of the Italian masters -- Gabrieli, Grandi and Monteverdi -- on their northern counterparts led to developments in 17th-century concerted music writing. The program will highlight concerted vocal music with trombones in performance of works by Usper, Monteverdi, Schütz, Ahle and Rosenmüller. The concerted vocal motets will be interspersed with instrumental works by Dario Castello and Samuel Scheidt.
