Cantabile

sings music of

Josquin Desprez

In memory of

Catherine L. Bowers

(1951-2004)

5 pm, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004

Pacem in Terris
96 Covered Bridge Rd.
Warwick, NY 10990

Cantabile

Laura Doughty, Sudie Marcuse-Blatz, James Mead,

David Olsson, Peter W. Shea, Brian Stoessel, Kayla Werlin

Cantabile is a self-directed ensemble based in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts that specializes in a cappella performances of vocal chamber music from the European Renaissance of the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. We have also performed 18th and 20th century music by special invitation.

In the beginning: Cantabile was founded in 2001 and made its concert debut in January 2002 at the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, Mass. with a program of a cappella Venetian Renaissance works that we later performed for other enthusiastic audiences in western Massachusetts and New York. In October 2002 we collaborated with actress/reader Doris Abramson and pianist Gregory Hayes in a program of Emily Dickinson songs and readings, presented in conjunction with the Emily Dickinson World Weekend held in Amherst, Massachusetts.

2003, a full year: In February 2003, Cantabile was featured at the Amherst Club’s annual "Love Notes" benefit concert. In June and July, we presented a program of Renaissance music from Spain, entitled "Love, Shipwrecks, and the Virgin Mary," at several concerts in western Massachusetts and New York. We again collaborated with Gregory Hayes in July as part of the Mohawk Trail Concert series, presenting choruses, solos, and duets from Handel’s oratorio L’allegro, Il Penseroso, ed il Moderato. Reviewer Clifton J. Noble, Jr. wrote: "the members of Cantabile negotiated Handel's challenging writing skillfully and with obvious enjoyment." In September 2003 we participated along with several other area vocal ensembles in a project of the Grace Church Center for Sacred Music: Spem in alium nunquam habui, a 40-voice motet by Thomas Tallis. On November 4 we performed works by Victoria, Josquin, Schütz, Monteverdi and Flecha for the Tuesday Morning Music Club of Springfield MA, sharing the program with organist Grant Moss. Our final performance of 2003 was as guest professional vocal ensemble at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's “Choral Spectrum '03” on November 8.

In early December of 2003 Catherine L. Bowers, mezzo-soprano and founding member of Cantabile, was diagnosed with advanced cancer. She died on March 8, 2004. Individually and as a group we have been hit hard by this grievous loss of a beloved friend and colleague. When the surviving members of Cantabile convened in April 2004 after a hiatus of nearly five months, we decided that what Cathy had fervently wished was also what we most deeply needed: to continue to feed our souls and those of our listeners with great music. Our sadness is inextricably mixed with a joyful sense of how we have been blessed by Cathy's inimitable musicianship, talent, warmth, honesty and enthusiasm. The seven of us are presenting this program of music by Josquin Desprez in Cathy's memory. During the fall of 2004 we expect to invite potential new members to rehearse with us.

Catherine L. Bowers was born in Johnson City, Tennessee on November 13, 1951. She was a professional violist and mezzo-soprano, and received master's degrees in both Performance and Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music. In addition she earned a master's degree in Nutrition Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Catherine Bowers was married to Bret Holloway on August 15, 1987. Cathy and Bret bought their home in Wendell, Massachusetts in 1991 where she lived with Bret and her cats, Sneakers, Sasha, and Tucker.

Cathy performed extensively throughout New England and New York and in western Massachusetts with the Arcadia Players, the Springfield Symphony, the Mohawk Trail Concert Series, the Pioneer Valley Symphony and numerous chamber ensembles. She was a founding member of the vocal ensembles Cantabile and Singers Project. Cathy was often cast in leading roles for Project Opera, Commonwealth Opera and Valley Light Opera. In 1994 she sang the role of Joan of Arc in the world premiere of Richard Einhorn's "Voices of Light" at the Academy of Music in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Cathy was a long-term care dietician at the Alzheimer Center at Quabbin Valley Healthcare in Athol and at Timberlyn Heights Nursing and Alzheimer Center, Great Barrington. She also served as a nutritional consultant at North Quabbin Family Physicians in Athol. Her skill, empathy, and conscientiousness enriched the lives of those she cared for, their families, and her co-workers. Cathy's rich, ringing, and frequent laughter will be very much missed.

Catherine L. Bowers: respected and beloved healthcare professional, lover of cats, connoisseur of great music, and an amazing and expressive musician---her rare and genuine altruism earned her an abundance of true friendships.

Program

Josquin Desprez (c1450-1521)

Petite camusette (Little snubnose) - chanson

Nymphes des bois (Nymphs of the wood) - motet-chanson

Mille regretz (A thousand regrets) - chanson

Ave Maria, gratia plena (Hail Mary, full of grace) - motet

Two motets on texts from Virgil's Aeneid

Fama malum (Evil rumor)

Dulces exuviae (Sweet relics)

Memor esto verbi tui (Remember your word) - motet

-- Intermission --

Three frottole

El grillo (The cricket)

In te Domine speravi (In thee , O Lord, I put my trust)

Scaramella

Gaude virgo mater Christi (Rejoice, virgin mother of Christ) - motet

Three chansons

En non saichant (I know right well)

Faulte d'argent (Lack of money)

Plusieurs regretz (Most sadness)

Inviolata, integra et casta (Inviolate, whole and chaste) - motet

Return to Cantabile's home page