Saya Woolfalk and NYCHORAL Celebrate Visionary Women in New Immersive Musical Project
With video, a 150-voice chorus, a string quartet, and electronica, this two-day live event in NYC brings an unforgettable genre-defying experience of image and sound to the stage.
On November 17 and 18, NYCHORAL (The New York Choral Society) will present Angel of Many Signs, a “hypnotic and riveting” production that brings together the stage premiere of Kevin Siegfried’s Angel of Light, inspired by 19th-century Shaker women, and the music of 12th-century Hildegard of Bingen in an unforgettable immersive experience of music and image powered by feminine creativity.
From as far back as Pythia at Delphi, who served as an agent of the god Apollo, women have been inspiring sources of wisdom and power. Spanning many centuries, Hildegard of Bingen and Shaker women of the 19th century were polymaths who infused their ecstatic visions of the divine with distinct feminine perspectives, encompassing music and movement to devotional manuscripts and drawings.
“Women have played a vital role in our world as visionaries, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and challenging the status quo,” says Executive Director Pat Owens “Our production of image and sound explores the unwavering creative spirit of women spanning nine centuries.”
Drawing inspiration from a Shaker gift drawing, “A Sacred Sheet Sent from Holy Mother Wisdom by Her Angel of Many Signs”, the New York Choral Society production features artist Saya Woolfalk’s unfolding narrative of folkloric and science fiction-inspired images in dialogue with an ethereal music environment created by a 150-voice chorus, composer and musician Raquel Acevedo Klein, Bergamot Quartet, and Soprano Chantal Freeman.
“In recent years, we have seen attacks on the power and autonomy of women” Owens adds, “This production serves as a powerful reminder of the essential role of women to lead and inspire us.” Music Director David Hayes notes, “With its 'remixes' of Hildegard of Bingen's music — an approach more commonly associated with contemporary pop music — this production initiates a thought-provoking dialogue among the work of a 12th-century abbess, 19th-century visionaries, and the creative forces of women of the 21st century.”
Performances
Dates & Times
- Friday, November 17, 7:30pm
- Saturday, November 18, 2pm
Location
Gerald W Lynch Theater
524 West 59th Street
New York, NY 10019
The Shaker Museum will host a pre-concert discussion on November 17 to explore the roles of women and ritual in Shakerism and the resonance of Shaker values and concepts in our contemporary world.
Tickets start at $30. Use code HYPERALLERGIC at checkout for 20% off live performance tickets.
Live Stream passes are also available for the November 17 performance for $10!
To learn more and reserve tickets, visit nychoral.org.
