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The Monterey County Herald The Joy of Singing Renowned vocalist, voice coach and Carmel Bach Festival savant David Gordon will be joined by concert pianist and recording artist Melinda Coffey for a "Joy of Singing" weekend in Carmel next week. The event takes place at the Carmel Woman's Club at Ninth and San Carlos across from Sunset Center. Friday evening, June 11 the two artists present "How Sweet the Answer" described as "a sentimental, light-hearted evening's journey through music and poetry of love and longing." The "Joy of Singing" vocal workshop on Saturday, June 12 takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Romantic 19th century songs of Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms will be offered during the concert, along with some elegant French songs by the neo-romantic Gabriel Faure. Also included will be music by Ralph Vaughan-Williams and Peter Warlock, 20th-century composers who imbued their music with the Romantic aesthetic. The audience will also hear the powerful "Planting a Sequoia" by Alva Henderson and Dana Gioia, who is the current chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. Gordon explains that the era of Romanticism was about much more than "romantic" love songs. For the Romantic artist, beauty was everywhere -- in nature, in the goodness of humanity, in high ideals. The artist served beauty as an individual creator and the senses and emotions held a higher station than reason and intellect. "Did you know that the French composer Gabriel Faure set to music a poetic cry of despair written by a young man imprisoned for attempting to murder a friend?" he asked. "Or that Brahms (in 1864) wrote a song based on an exultant poem by the ancient Persian poet Hafiz?" Singing workshop| The Joy of Singing workshop is designed for all people who love to sing. The morning session, "The Singer Prepares," will be an interactive lecture/demonstration imparting techniques for centering, breathing, warming up, maintaining focus and selecting and learning music. After lunch in "Putting it all to Work," Gordon will give more hands-on examples of the techniques described in the morning session in the form of a master class with pre-selected singers. He will explain and demonstrate valuable skills for healthy singing and true vocal artistry. As always with Gordon, participants can expect lots of tips, anecdotes and insights from his 30-year international career as vocal soloist. One of Gordon's professional clients from San Francisco will be present for an additional in-depth look at vocal and technical issues. "The basics of healthy vocal technique are accessible to anyone," said Gordon. "There are no secrets, only skill based on human physiology and good sense. Any singer who loves to sing and has an outlet for singing can benefit from this workshop. No advanced training is necessary." On a personal note, I had occasion to take advantage of Gordon's vocal coaching skills to prepare for a non-singing recording session last month. Those of you who use your speaking voices as performers, broadcasters, teachers and so forth can also benefit from this workshop. Many of the techniques and principles Gordon teaches improve the non-singing voice and health as well. CONCERT/ WORKSHOP What: Concert and workshop with vocalist David Gordon and pianist Melinda Coffey Where: Carmel Woman's Club, San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel When: 8 p.m. Friday, June 11 and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday June 12 Tickets: $25 for concert, $40 for workshop, advance purchase strongly recommended; Tickets available at Do Re Mi Music & Video The Bookmark Information: 831/238.2934 or online at www.spiritsound.com |