Public Relations


Physical Address:
107 Jackson Street
(Corner of Center and Short Street)
Berea, KY 40404

Mailing Address:
Berea College Public Relations
CPO 2142
Berea, KY 40404

Phone: 859-985-3018
Fax: 859-985-3556


Portuguese Duo perform concert on Berea College Carillon July 18
 
06/13/05
 
   
Lvistanvs DuoThe Lvsitanvs Duo, consisting of sisters Ana and Sara Elias from Lisbon, Portugal, will play duets on the Berea College carillon in a concert Monday, July 18. Their program ranges from Purcell and Grieg to a medley of Walt Disney tunes. The concert on the Draper Quadrangle at Berea is the second in a summer carillon series, and will begin at 8 p.m.

The concert will be about one hour long. A video monitor at ground level will allow listeners to view the performers in action. Seating is on the lawn in front of the Draper Building or concertgoers can bring lawn chairs or a blanket. Admission is free.

The Duo's Berea program will open with a Portuguese song from the Rrenaissance, followed by a selection from Purcell's opera "Dido and Aeneas," and a short piece originally written for harpsichord, "The Cuckoo," by the French composer Daquin. The Duo will also perform "A Carillon Concerto for Two to Play," which is one of the few original carillon duets, composed by Ronald Barnes. Barnes also arranged three Slovakian folksongs by Bela Bartok to be performed. Romantic composers Grief and Faure are represented by "Norwegian Dance" and "Pavane." Arrangements by carillonneur Eddy Marien for carillon duet are a medley of songs from Disney movies "Snow White," "Mary Poppins," "The Little Mermaid," and "The Jungle Book." The concert will close with the popular song "My Way," made famous by Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

The Elias sisters share an appointment as carillonneur to the newest carillon in the world (May, 2005), the 74-bell instrument in Alverca, Portugal. Both sisters have expertise by training in music and mining engineering. Ana Elias, a graduate of the "Jef Denym" Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium, has won several prizes in carillon competitions. At present, she teaches music to children and is also finishing her mining engineering studies. Sara Elias, the younger of the sisters, is also a graduate of the "Jef Denym" carillon school and is currently pursuing a masters degree in carillon at Southwest Missouri State University.

Both Ana and Sara have played numerous carillon recitals in their native Portugal, as well as in other European countries and in the United States. The sisters also regularly perform for international carillon congresses and festivals.

The bells of Berea’s carillon range in weight from 15 lbs. to 2750 lbs. Mounted on steel beams, the bells do not move. The clappers are connected by carbon fiber rods to a keyboard played with fists and feet, giving a full range of dynamics. The design of Berea’s keyboard, combining the best features of the European and American types, is being considered as the prototype for a new world-standard keyboard.

The final concert of Berea's summer carillon series will be Monday, August 29 at 8 p.m. Malgosia Fiebig of Gdansk, Poland, will play music than includes pieces by Vivaldi, Chopin and Polish folktunes.

   
CONTACT:
John Courter (859) 985-3473 or Julie Sowell (859) 985-3028

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