Paris in full bloom, with spice
Danny Johnson
Wow! You know, we almost scheduled a preview concert of our upcoming Paris City Limits program in actual Paris this summer, but then someone scheduled the Olympics there so we decided to wait and stay closer to home. I mean, the traffic alone deterred us. I know we could have waited until the Fall and we could do the Paris concert in Paris then, but we would miss some of the other important goings-on here in AusTex! Besides, I don’t know if you can get a latte aux épices de citrouille there, not that I’ve ever had a bona fide, certified PSL here. But that brings us to the heart of the matter:
It’s September, when we locals begins to look forward to the finer things of life, including cooler weather for several months at a time, so we can begin to enjoy outdoor spor… I mean musical activities and festivals and walks through the Hill Country on a cool autumn day and watch out for that cactus and there’s nothing like nature yes the wild mountain cedar then the sneezes and the rushing yes for the tissues yes then the beautiful country with fields of oats and wheat and buckwheat yessss I said buckwheat and yes I’ll have another buckwheat pancake and yes I would yes even as we see rivers and streams yes and culverts and wildflowers of all sorts of shapes and smells and… Whoa! What is that intoxicating aroma wafting through the junipers and cedars? Of course, it’s the perfume of the wild pumpkin spice!! I forgot, it’s September!! We’ve finally finished August, aka that long pre-pumpkin-spice month!
Ok, I know I digressed, but I must go. I need to begin my search for you-know-what while I’m finishing up the work on our Paris concert (in Austin). Check out all the details below. I need to find a latte aux épices de citrouille, stat!!
—Danny
Paris City Limits:
Circa 1550
Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 7:30 pm
&
Sunday, September 29, 2024, 3:00 pm
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2111 Alexander Avenue
Hosted by Arts on Alexander on the campus of Redeemer Presbyterian Church,
2111 Alexander Ave, Austin, TX 78722.
Visit the Arts on Alexander 2024-2025 events on the AoA website.
Admission $35 general; $30 seniors (60+); $5 students with ID
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.
For more information, email boxoffice@early-music.org.
We’ve named our 2024-2025 season Reconnections: Reflections with friends, old and new. Our most recent Paris City Limits concert was almost exactly six years ago, and we all know that is a long time to be separated from a dear friend. How fortunate that the dear friend in question has such a rich history: Renowned for its popular music of France from the 16th and 17th centuries, Paris City Limits regales audiences with exuberant dances, popular folk songs, dazzling chansons, and heartfelt songs of love and melancholy by both the masters of the day and some relative unknowns.
Imagine a music festival that explores the rustic and sophisticated musical hits of 16th-century Paris and its environs. There are some top hits by Josquin and Lassus, some lyrics by the leading serious poet of the time, Pierre de Ronsard, as well as wondrously gentle and touching songs by Janequin and the new kid on the rue, Pierre Clereau. Then it will be time for some exuberant Breton dances to put a smile on your face and a tap in your foot.
There are dozens of chansons attributed to the master of the day, Josquin des Prez, and we will be performing four of them. Three of those four are for six parts, allowing the master to experiment with textures and harmonies. As the finale, TEMP’s 16-voice chorus will perform Janequin’s spectacular and picturesque chanson about the birds (Le chant des oyseaux). Enjoy the audio teaser from our Paris City Limits CD below.
Click/tap on the CD cover images to enjoy more audio samples
and visit our Recordings page to view all of our CDs.
Our featured singers for this year’s Paris City Limits include TEMP regulars Jenifer Thyssen, Adrienne Pedrotti Bingamon, Jenny Houghton, Cayla Cardiff, Page Stephens, Jeffrey Jones Ragona, Ryland Angel, and more. The instrumental ensemble features harpist Elaine Barber, violinist Bruce Colson, our viol consort (Mary Springfels, Kit Robberson, Joan Carlson, John Walters, and David Dawson), recorder player Susan Richter, and lutenist Héctor Alfonso Torres.
