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What, you ask, is Cori Spezzati? Please read on to learn about this organization!
History: In November 2002, a group of musicians prepared several antiphonal pieces to be used in a church service at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Even though it was primarily a learning experience, the performance sounded great and was thoroughly enjoyed by the musicians and the congregation. There was a general desire to repeat and enhance the experience at the earliest opportunity. A lot of thought, discussion and organization followed. In the summer of 2004, Jason Moore, Kathy Achterberg, and David Swann decided to launch a series of musical performances featuring antiphonal music. The result is Cori Spezzati, whose literal translation of 'broken (separated) choirs' alludes to the practice in Venice, Italy's St. Mark's Cathedral of separating the various musical groups to achieve a magical spatial effect.
Purpose: This group has been formed to (1) give musicians an opportunity to play this type of music and (2) provide audiences a chance to hear more of this glorious sound.
This music requires skillful musicians for the best interpretation. Therefore, the production cost for a presentation using paid professionals can be considerable. Our group is filling a unique niche in the performance world by recruiting professionals and gifted amateurs who will donate their rehearsal and performance time as a public service. By doing that, they create the possibility for us all to experience this music played in a live setting more often. We believe that the more it is heard, the more it will be appreciated. Over time, we will recruit more and more capable and dedicated musicians and to provide increased performances at varied locations throughout Austin and Central Texas. This should be a rewarding experience for us all as we work together to prepare and present this music to a wide audience. There will not be a set roster of players. Over time, we will bring in as many qualified musicians as possible to match the orchestration dictated by the pieces that are chosen.
Target Audience: We believe that this music is enjoyed by a diverse range of listeners. It has a timeless beauty that resonates strongly. Religious institutions often have strong musical programs and performance spaces with desirable acoustic characteristics, so we expect to perform in local churches. We also plan to seek out other settings where the power and beauty of this music can be demonstrated. A component of our performances will be aimed at education. We plan to publish meaningful program notes, and our web-site will eventually be developed to introduce the curious and interested to more information about the history of this music and its better-known composers.
Structure: We are a group of three volunteers who are dedicated to this project. We are self-financed at present. St. Paul Lutheran Church has generously provided administrative support. None of our players is paid for performing. We have no fund-raising body; any contributions we are fortunate enough to receive are either applied to recover our individual expenses or donated to the music program at St. Paul Lutheran. As we grow, we will need to expand our organization structure to assure continuity and efficiency.
The organization can be viewed as a set of concentric spheres, with the body of music in the center. Next you would find the core group of producers. The next sphere contains our most dedicated supporters and advisers. At the next level you encounter the volunteer musicians who bring their skills and enthusiasm. Beyond that are our audiences and all who are influenced by our performances.
Future Plans: We hope to produce several concerts each year. We have already developed a strong database of players. We expect to discover many more players in the future who will want to participate. As our management and planning skills increase, we expect to streamline the production process so that we can reduce the amount of time necessary to produce an event. We expect to find natural allies in educational and religious institutions, early-music groups, and professional and community bands and orchestras. We believe that these alliances will lead to many wonderful performance opportunities for our organization.
Financial Policy: We are not a profit-seeking enterprise. At present, expenses are low and manageable. We recognize the need in the future for funds for such things as administrative costs, purchase of music, printing, graphic design, and publicity. We would also like to be able to subsidize the expenses incurred by our musicians for travel, wardrobe, etc. We will probably set ourselves up on a tax-free basis or try to find an existing organization to 'adopt' us. Please contact us if you have good organizational ideas you'd like to share.
Referral Policy: We are not operating as a music broker or agent. However, we are happy to offer referrals of exemplary professional musicians, both individuals and ensembles, who are among our group of volunteers. Contact us.
Use of Period Instruments: While the instruments we use are not authentic to the period when the music was composed, using modern instruments greatly facilitates our ability to locate good players. We see playing music as a dynamic activity and don't feel overly constrained by any need to attempt to present a scrupulously accurate rendition of how this music was performed when first composed. That being said, however, we leave the option open that someday we will consider some productions using only period instruments.
Thanks for your interest. We hope you'll gather your friends and family and attend our next performance.
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