# New Century Chamber Orchestra at First Congregational Church, May 11, 2023

[NCCO](https://www.ncco.org/events/points-of-origin-1) presents _Points of Origin_ featuring [Nicholas Phan](http://www.nicholas-phan.com/)  
[First Congregational Church](http://fccb.org/)  
[2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2201 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2345+Channing+Way,+Berkeley,+CA+94704-2201+USA&hl=en)  
7:30 PM, Thursday, May 11, 2023

[[2023-05-10|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#May_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-05-13|On to the next event!]]

[{{:2023:2023-05:20230511_promo.jpg?300|NCCO promo banner}}]

## Set One

[7:32 PM] {lights down}  
[7:33 PM] {Welcome & introduction from Richard Lonsdorf}  
[7:35 PM] {entrance of the performers}

### Montgomery: Banner

01. \[7:36 PM] [Jessie Montgomery](https://www.jessiemontgomery.com/) \(b.1981): _Banner_ for solo string quartet and string orchestra (2014)  
[Program & performance notes from the composer](https://www.jessiemontgomery.com/work/banner-string-orchestra/)  
[7:45 PM] {segment ends; pause for the players to rearrange themselves}  
[7:46 PM] {DH introduces the next work}

### John Williams: With Malice Toward None

01. \[7:47 PM] [John Towner Williams](https://www.johnwilliams.org/) \(b. 1932): _With Malice Toward None_, from _Lincoln_ (2012)  
[7:52 PM] {segment ends}  
[7:52 PM] {DH introduces the final work of this set}

### Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

Edward Benjamin Britten (1913–1976): Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10 (1937)

01. [7:55 PM] Introduction and Theme
02. [7:57 PM] Variation 1: Adagio
03. [8:00 PM] Variation 2: March
04. [8:01 PM] Variation 3: Romance
05. [8:02 PM] Variation 4: Aria Italiana
06. [8:03 PM] Variation 5: Bourrée classique
07. [8:04 PM] Variation 6: Wiener Waltzer
08. [8:07 PM] Variation 7: Moto perpetuo
09. [8:08 PM] Variation 8: Funeral March
10. [8:12 PM] Variation 9: Chant
11. [8:13 PM] Variation 10: Fugue and Finale  
[8:21 PM] {set ends; all off for break after a minute or so}

## Set Two

[8:39 PM] {lights down; band out}  
[8:40 PM] {DH introduction}

### Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

01. [8:n PM] Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958): Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910)  
[8:56 PM] {segment ends}  
[8:57 PM] {pause to rearrange for the last work}  
[8:58 PM] {NP introduction}

### Muhly: Stranger

[Nico Muhly](http://nicomuhly.com/) \(b. 1981): _Stranger_, for Tenor and String Orchestra (2019; revised 2023? World Premiere this arrangement, co-commissioned by New Century Chamber Orchestra and the Palaver Strings)  
Muhly posted a [program note](https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/60648/Stranger--Nico-Muhly/) to accompany the 2020 premiere of the original tenor & string quartet version of the work, now expanded.

01. [9:01 PM] _Fragments of the Past_
02. [9:02 PM] _Ellis Island_
03. [9:05 PM] _All Men_
04. [9:08 PM] _Leviticus 19:34_
05. [9:09 PM] _Threats & Intimidations_
06. [9:13 PM] _Everyone Cries_
07. [9:15 PM] _My Love_  
[9:19 PM] {set ends}  
[9:21 PM] {show ends}

## Performers

### New Century Chamber Orchestra

[New Century Chamber Orchestra](http://ncco.org/)

* Stephanie Bibbo: violin II;
* [Lizzie Burns](https://www.lizzieburnsbass.com/): principal contrabass;
* Jenny Douglass: viola;
* William Everett: contrabass;
* [Jory Fankuchen](https://joryfankuchen.com/): violin II;
* Michael Graham: cello;
* [Dawn Harms](http://dawnharms.com/): violin;
* [Daniel Hope](http://danielhope.com/): violin, concertmaster, music director;
* [Evan Kahn](http://evandkahn.com/): cello;
* [Anna Kruger](http://www.csus.edu/music/faculty/kruger.html): principal viola;
* [Michelle Maruyama](https://www.facebook.com/michellemaruyama): violin II;
* [Robin Mayforth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-mayforth-897b735): violin;
* Isaac Melamed: cello;
* Kayo Miki: violin II;
* [Deborah Tien Price](https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-tien-price-3651294): violin, associate concertmaster;
* [Elizabeth Prior](http://www.lizpriorviola.com/): viola;
* [Cassandra Lynne Richburg](http://cassandralynnerichburg.com/): viola;
* Frank Shaw: viola;
* [Karen Shinozaki Sor](https://www.facebook.com/karen.s.sor): violin;
* [Kyle Stachnik](https://www.facebook.com/kyle.stachnik/): cello;
* Iris Stone: violin;
* [Michael Yokas](https://www.facebook.com/michael.yokas): principal violin II.

### Special Guest

* [Nicholas Phan](http://www.nicholas-phan.com/): tenor vox.

## Notes

Another fine show from NCCO. I'm not always in the mood for lush string music, but when I am, these folks really hit that spot right!

The world premiere performance of [Hannah Kendall](https://hannahkendall.co.uk/)'s _…I may turn to salt_, co-commissioned by the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and NCCO was originally scheduled for tonight, but sometime in the past few weeks it got tabled for a future date. Bummer! Daniel Hope introduced a last-minute replacement mid-set tonight, John Williams' _With Malice Toward None_, from the film, _Lincoln_. Yay! I liked it: it was a nice piece with a prominent cello role.

Tonight's other premiere, Nico Muhly's _Stranger_ was also quite good, but it felt just a little bit rushed to me. Giving the music some room to expand and breath (and giving the listener some extra time to reflect on the message carried by the lyrics being sung) would seem to me to be worthwhile. I should probably go review the 2020 recording of Nicholas Phan with Brooklyn Rider to see if I feel the same: something for tomorrow's listening queue!

NCCO posted a [video promo](https://youtu.be/vvArzNgOemo) for this show on YouTube.

{{tag>music New_Century_Chamber_Orchestra Nicholas_Phan First_Congregational_Church  Stephanie_Bibbo Lizzie_Burns Jenny_Douglass William_Everett Jory_Fankuchen Michael_Graham Dawn_Harms Daniel_Hope Evan_Kahn Anna_Kruger Michelle_Maruyama Robin_Mayforth Isaac_Melamed Kayo_Miki Deborah_Tien_Price Elizabeth_Prior Cassandra_Lynne_Richburg *_Frank_Shaw Karen_Shinozaki_Sor Kyle_Stachnik Iris_Stone Michael_Yokas}}

[[2023-05-10|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#May_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-05-13|On to the next event!]]