Programs

ANIMAL PROGRAM

“Eyes that Speak” 
The conception of this concert has as its source the respect which Ms. Devillers has for all living creatures and especially her desire to celebrate the human-animal bond in all its variations from service to companionship. The seven musicians who play and sing in three part harmony offer to the interested listener the time to contemplate their own attitudes towards animals in response to the stories of the lyrics and the evocations of the music.

 FRENCH PROGRAM

“Divertissement a la Francaise”
An informative and entertaining program of French music and French creativity. The focus is on music from the medieval times to the sixteenth century and then on to Debussy and Satie with interplay of voices, renaissance instruments and piano accompaniment linking the two composers of the impressionist period with the internationally know French story teller and comedian, Raymond Devos. Several of Devos well known monologues provide prose variations throughout the musical program.  
Spoken parts can be presented in French or English (or both) along with translations of the lyrics.  The program is approximately ninety minutes with a brief intermission.

 SCHOOL PROGRAM

“Pied Piper OF Hamelin” 
This program provides an introduction to two families of renaissance instruments: the recorders, from the four foot long bass to the eight inch sopranino, and the crumhorns, double reed instruments with the same variations in size but with a curved body in the form of the letter J. How each works and sounds begins the program.
Jacqueline Devillers plays each of the instruments during a recitation of Robert Browning’s Pied Piper of Hamelin, each instrument thereby illustrates moods and actions expressed in the poem, from dancing children to running rats, from hypnotic piping to great sadness, from the promises of the town mayor to the revenge of the piper.
                                  Joseph Scott’s recitation of a story well known in its outline, but filled with picturesque detail and engaging rhyme in the Robert Browning poem, holds elementary students spellbound, especially since the characters speaking in the poem are given (literally) different hats to identify them clearly and even more so since the costume box at Mr. Scott’s feet progressively reveals the piper’s cape, his scarf, a bag of gold and even some rats! (Forty minute program.)