A capella ensemble Anonymous 4 bring their exquisite harmonies to Berea in a concert March 12

Renowned for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing, the four women of Anonymous 4 combine musical, literary, and historical scholarship with contemporary performance intuition as they create ingeniously designed programs, interweaving music with poetry.  Joining with the ensemble for this concert will be instrumentalists Darol Anger on violin and mandolin and guitarist Scott Nygaard.  Their program called “Long Time Traveling” includes religious ballads, folk songs and shape note hymns.

Since coming together in 1986, Anonymous 4 has performed nationally and internationally in major venues and festivals throughout North America, Europe and the Far East.  The ensemble has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” A&E’s “Breakfast With the Arts,” and NPR’s “Weekend Edition.”  Anonymous 4′s award-winning recordings, 20 in all, have attained unprecedented popularity, rising to the top of Billboard’s classical chart, and selling almost 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Based out of New York City, the group includes singers Marsha Genensky, Jaqueline Horner, Susan Hellauer, and Ruth Cunningham (who will be filling in for Johanna Maria Rose).  The ensemble name is a pun on the name used to refer to an anonymous English music theorist in the late 13th century.

Instrumentalists Darol Anger and Scott Nygaard are distinguished musicians in their own right.  Exceptional among modern fiddlers for his versatility and depth, Anger has performed pathbreaking ensembles such as his Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, the Duo and other ensembles. Today Anger can be heard on NPR’s “Car Talk” theme every week, along with Earl Scruggs, David Grisman and Tony Rice. He has recorded and produced scores of important recordings since 1977 is a featured soloist on dozens of recordings and motion picture soundtracks.

Nygaard is one of the most inventive and original guitarists in the bluegrass/acoustic music scene, whether performing solo or with one of several groups he performs with.  Initially influenced by Doc Watson, Clarence White, and Django Reinhardt and Riley Puckett, Scott spent many years wandering the sea of American music that includes bluegrass, jazz, Cajun, old-time, western swing and rock and roll, and has since expanded his musical world to include traditional Swedish and Irish music.  In addition to leading his own group, Crow Molly,  Nygaard performs with a variety of other ensembles and has recorded with such acoustic music stars as Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile, Tony Furtado, Laurie Lewis, Todd Phillips, and David Grisman, receiving numerous Grammy nominations for his stellar sidemanship.  He has recorded two solo albums with Rounder Records.

Anonymous 4 with Darol Anger and Scott Nygaard is part of the 2008-09 Stephenson Memorial Concert series presented as a part of the Berea College Convocation Program. The Series honors former Berea College John B. Stephenson and his sister Nancy Anne Stephenson, and was established by the Stephenson family to bring outstanding musical performances to central Kentucky audiences free of charge.   All other Berea Convocation programs are free and open to the public as well.  For a complete listing of these and other events at Berea College, visit www.berea.edu/convocations or BCnow