A workshop for choral directors to bring home a fresh repertoire of great arrangements of a wide range of traditional American secular and sacred songs, including African American gospel and spirituals, old and new American shape note pieces, newly composed pieces and old hymns.
This special workshop led by the Amidons will be held Saturday, April 9, 2016 starting at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM including a light refreshments at the University of Bridgeport Arnold Bernhard Arts and Humanities Center in the Gallery and Recital Hall.
This workshop is offered free of charge to all area music educations, choral directors and church musicians.
Frank Martignetti is our host for this event.
About the Workshop
The Amidons are known for bringing home with a fresh repertoire of great arrangements of a wide range of traditional American secular and sacred songs, including African American gospel and spirituals, old and new American shape note pieces, newly composed pieces and old hymns. These workshops are great both for choral directors and for folks who simply like to sing. The Amidons’ energy and warmth encourage people to feel relaxed while empowering groups to create rich and soulful harmonies.
Bio
Peter and Mary Alice have both been deeply involved in harmony singing since they first met in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1975. They have been on two U.S. and three European tours with Larry Gordon’s ‘Word of Mouth Chorus/Northern Harmony‘ choruses, and they are featured singers on the classic Nonesuch recording of American shape note music ‘Rivers of Delight‘.
The Amidons have been a mainstay of harmony singing leading for the last decade at major traditional music and dance festivals in the Northeast, at week-long adult harmony singing workshops in Scotland and Vermont, and at the Country Dance and Song Society sponsored summer camps of traditional dance and song. The Amidons are particularly famous for their Sacred Harp and gospel singing workshops at the annual Old Songs Festival (Altamont, NY) and the Dance Flurry Festival (Saratoga Springs, NY). Peter has been organizing the greater Brattleboro monthly Sacred Harp sings for over 20 years.