UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 12
November 21, 1996
'Holiday Celebration' with Hesperus & Western Wind

     There's something for everyone at "A Holiday Celebration,"
featuring the musical ensembles Hesperus and Western Wind, at 8
p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, at Mitchell Hall.
     These two ensembles will continue their decade-long
collaboration with two exciting, eclectic programs combining
Hesperus' trademark blend of medieval and American traditional
music and Western Wind's award-winning vocal versatility. The
program is part of the University's 1996-97 Performing Arts
Series.
     The Holiday Celebration will feature medieval carols,
Colonial American play-party games, Hanukkah songs, lively
Spanish and Native American selections from the New World,
traditional British wassails and even the American classic "White
Christmas."
     The members of Hesperus also will present a workshop at 11
a.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, in Room 118 of the Amy E. du Pont Music
Building.
     
     Western Wind     
     
     Western Wind has been delighting audiences with its vast
repertoire and deeply felt, virtuostic performances since 1969.
The Lexington, Ky., Herald-Leader hails the ensemble as
"versatile, first-rate." The ensemble's wide-ranging interests
are reflected in its music-making: From medieval carols to '50s
rock 'n' roll, from complex works by avant-garde composers to the
simplest folk melodies and everywhere in between.
     The group, whose name comes from an anonymous 14th-century
poem that several composers in the 15th and 16th centuries set to
music, emphasizes that no special musical knowledge is needed to
enjoy its performances.
     Western Wind has performed on many of the finest stages,
such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the
Jewish Museum and the Library of Congress.
     The group has performed a series of National Public Radio
holiday specials since 1989 and has more than a dozen recordings
available on several labels, including Western Wind Records,
Music Masters/ Musical Heritage Society, Nonesuch, Laurel and
Newport Classics.
     
     Hesperus
     
     Hesperus is widely acclaimed for its innovative,
historically informed programs of music from eight centuries and
four continents. The New Haven, Conn., Register calls Hesperus "a
lively ensemble" that is "elegant and cultured," while The
Washington Post notes that its music is "gracefully composed."
     The Washington-based ensemble was founded in 1979 and is
named after the classical god of the west wind. Hesperus is an
ensemble-in-residence at the Smithsonian Institution's National
Museum of American History and a visiting ensemble-in-residence
at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The group
tours internationally and has appeared at the Yale Collection of
Museum Instruments, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and overseas in
Germany, England, Bulgaria and throughout the Far East.
     Hesperus has released numerous recordings for Golden Apple
Records and is featured regularly in broadcasts by National
Public Radio and American Public Radio. Hesperus also has
appeared on CBS and CNN.
     Ticket prices for "A Holiday Celebration" are $15 for the
general public, $10 for senior citizens and UD faculty, staff and
alumni and $6 for students and children.
     Tickets are available in person at the Bob Carpenter Center
box office, the Trabant University Center box office or the
Hartshorn Box office or by calling Ticketmaster at 984-2000.
     For more information on "A Holiday Celebration" or the
Performing Arts Series, contact the Office of Alumni and
University Relations at 831-2341.
     The Performing Art Series is made possible in part by a
grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts.