ALCHEMY PROJECT
Alchemy: American Art Songs
by Ives, Bowles, Bolcom, Price, Strayhorn, Ellington
Classical mezzo soprano & jazz vocalist, Rebecca Shrimpton, and pianist & composer, Herman Weiss, explore art songs inspired by American popular music, including works by Charles Ives, William Bolcom, Florence Price, and Paul Bowles, interwoven with original arrangements of classically influenced "tone poems" by jazz masters, Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington. Alchemy's first recording, "Passion Flower," will be released in 2025.
Performance dates:
Dec 8, 2024 Weston Public Library Concert Series, 3 pm
May 20-23, 2024 Recording Session @ Berklee's "Ark" Studio
Sept 28, 2023 Berk Recital Hall, Berklee College of Music, 7 pm
May 21, 2023 Weston Public Library, 3 pm
April 16, 2023 Quincy Point Congregational Church, 1:30pm
March 25, 2023 First Baptist Church of Medford, 7:30pm
March 24, 2023 Private Venue, Nahant, 7 pm
Program repertoire selected from:
Paul Bowles' "Blue Mountain Ballads":
Heavenly Grass
Lonesome Man
Cabin
Sugar in the Cane
Charles Ives:
At the River
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
Memories: A. Very Pleasant & B. Rather Sad
Things Our Fathers Loved
Florence Price:
Because
Bewilderment
For My Little Son
Monologue for the Working Class
My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord
William Grant Still: Grief
Charles S. Brown: Song Without Words
Leonard Bernstein: Simple Song (from "Mass")
William Bolcom's "Cabaret Songs":
Black Max
Blue
Radical Sally
Waitin'
Billy Strayhorn:
A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing, arr Herman Weiss
Passion Flower/Fleurette Africaine (Ellington), lyrics Rebecca
Shrimpton, arr. Herman Weiss
Duke Ellington:
Hank Cinq (Sonnet 128), arr Herman Weiss
T.G.T.T. (Too Good to Title)
George Russell arr.: All the Things You Are (Kern)
Herman Weiss is an internationally renowned pianist, composer, conductor, and organist. He is co-founder of two chamber music societies and created a Master of Music program in composition at the Longy School of Music at Bard College, where he chaired the department of composition for twelve years. He co-founded the Composers in Red Sneakers and also founded two chamber music societies, one in Cambridge, MA and the other in Europe. Herman has a PhD in music composition from Brandeis University and studied composition and organ in Paris at Conservatoire National on a Fulbright Fellowship with Olivier Messaien. He also studied composition, piano and conducting at New England Conservatory. His music is published by APNM (BMI) and it is recorded on Northeastern Records.
