The collaboration between SFEMS and the California Jazz Conservatory continues on Sunday, February 8, with an unusual and creative program that crosses the boundaries between “old” and “new” music. Entitled “Heresy of the Free Spirit,” the concert will be performed by Amy Michele White, voice, and Dominic Schaner, archlute and modal vihuela/guitar (formerly The Euphora Project).
“Heresy of the Free Spirit” seeks to divine the improvisatory and unbound (or free) nature of early music in light of the mystical tradition from which the concert takes its title. Similar to the writings of Marguerite Porete and Meister Eckhart, the music may glimpse poetry and mysticism in fleeting and free spirited improvisation. The program explores long and free form pieces, drones and non-retrogradable patterns, improvisational works for lutes, new music composed in a minimalist style influenced by 16th- and 17th-century compositional practices, 13th-century Cantigas de Santa Maria and 17th-century airs de cour.
The concert begins at 4:30 p.m., at the California Jazz Conservatory (formerly The Jazzschool), 2087 Addison St., between Shattuck and Milvia, in downtown Berkeley. The venue is one block from the downtown Berkeley BART station, and parking is easily available at the Addison Street parking garage. Street parking is free on Sundays and also relatively easy in the afternoon. The school’s café is open prior to and during the concert, allowing audience members to enjoy a glass of wine, coffee, or a light snack.
All tickets are $15; reservations are highly recommended, as the venue is small and intimate. Tickets are available online, or you can call the California Jazz Conservatory at 510-845-5373 or email [email protected] to make reservations.
