Canzona Women’s Ensemble to present ‘Singing Her Story’
Canzona Women’s Ensemble.
Concert theme inspired by the family histories and cultures of the ensemble’s singers
– Canzona Women’s Ensemble presents its spring concert entitled “Singing Her Story,” on Sunday afternoon, March 12, at 3 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in San Luis Obispo. The 25-voice group is led by co-directors Cricket Handler and Jill Anderson and accompanied by pianist Janis Johnson.
The theme for this concert is inspired by the family histories and cultures of the ensemble’s singers, and thus the program is very eclectic with a wide variety of music. Two members have Cherokee backgrounds, so Canzona is singing a wistful Cree lullaby. Another had ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, so the ensemble is presenting a well-known folk song, Johnny has Gone for a Soldier. Another has family ties to St. Louis, which suggested another beloved folk song, Shenandoah.
From French-Canadian culture, Canzona honors a singer with a holiday song entitled Bien vite c’est le jour de l’An. From the Norwegian culture comes a beautiful a cappella piece by Ola Gjeilo, Northern Lights, to honor one of the conductors. Canzona even includes some musical theatre pieces to honor Irish heritage (Look to the Rainbow from “Finian’s Rainbow”) and Kansas heritage (Home from “The Wiz”). And the jazzy Louis Prima version of Sing, Sing, Sing, to honor a member who met her husband swing dancing, will be the finale.
Canzona will be joined for this nostalgic concert by two guest instrumentalists: percussionist Darrell Voss and flutist Cassandra Tarantino. In addition, Canzona is collaborating with At Her Table to bring awareness of and support to female-owned food and beverage businesses on the Central Coast.
Tickets are $33 for premium seats, $28 for general seats, and $10 for students. They can be ordered online through the website: www.canzonawomen.org or my805tix. The United Methodist Church is at 1515 Fredericks Street in San Luis Obispo.
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