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Photos taken in Graz during the 2022 Jamaican-Austrian Felsted concert.
Music Unites Jamaica Foundation Under the Patronage of Austrian Ambassador H.E. Sylvia Meier-Kajbic presents The Jamaican -Austrian Felsted Celebration Launching the first complete YouTube recording of Samuel Felsted’s ‘Six Voluntarys for Organ' by Austrian Organist Franz Zebinger In Recognition of the 220th Anniversary of Jamaica’s First Documented Composer Samuel Felsted On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, 1 p.m., at the Kingston Parish Church  Another milestone in preserving and promoting the history of Jamaica’s Classical Music has been achieved, initiated by the Austrian-born musician Rosina Christina Moder, OD, who has performed and taught in Jamaica since 1985. It was Rosina’s original intention to invite prominent Austrian organist Franz Zebinger to Jamaica to play the complete set of ‘Six Voluntarys for Organ or Harpsichord’ by Jamaica’s first documented composer Samuel Felsted at the church of its origin, the Kingston Parish Church. Felsted served as organist at this church from 1783 until the time of his passing on March 29, 1802. However, due to the worldwide Covid crisis this plan was changed to Franz Zebinger’s recording of these six organ pieces for worldwide viewing on YouTube, on a baroque organ at the ‘Marienkirche’ in Gleisdorf, a town in the Austrian Province of Styria. This will be these Voluntarys’ inaugural performances in modern times.
Rosina worked diligently to source the sponsorship for this undertaking within her close circle of friends from her youth, contacting the now prominent company ‘Saubermacher’ in Graz, who replied favourably. On the occasion of the 220th anniversary of Felsted’s passing, the launch of this unprecedented first complete recording will be presented in the form of a collaboration concert taking place simultaneously on both sides of the ocean. This concert will feature works by Samuel Felsted (1743 - 1802), and one of our contemporary Jamaican composers Peter Ashbourne. In Graz, as part of the series of ‘Evening Concerts’ at the Church Mariahilf, Rosina will team up with Franz Zebinger, who was in fact a member of her Baroque Ensemble ‘Point d’ Arret’ before her arrival in Jamaica. Other performers include Kornelia Pilz, a star former recorder student of Rosina’s, and two young Jamaican musicians, bass player Alvis Reid and pianist Luke Dixon (both of whom now reside in Austria). The programme in Graz (where Rosina gained her Bachelor and Masters degrees on the recorder) will include four of the Voluntarys by Felsted, as well as Peter Ashbourne’s composition for String Quartet ‘Jamaica Folk’, and his recorder compositions ‘Elena and her Variations’ and ‘Crystal Spring’. Here in Jamaica, the collaborative live-streaming will initially feature the new Ashbourne song ‘Jamaica Fair’ performed by the intriguing voice of boy soprano Oscar Kremer. Samuel Felsted’s Grand Chorus, the “Jamaican Hallelujah” from the oratorio ‘Jonah’ will be the finale of the programme, sung by the National Chorale of Jamaica, featuring soprano Christine McDonald and tenor John McFarlane, CD, and accompanied by the organist at the Kingston Parish Church, Dwight McBean. Conducting will be Winston Ewart, OD, who also serves as the Chairman of the organizing NGO, Music Unites Jamaica Foundation. It is worth mentioning that the oratorio ‘Jonah’ by Samuel Felsted is internationally known to be the first complete oratorio composed in the Western Hemisphere! In her role as Executive Director of the NGO, Music Unites Jamaica Foundation, Rosina and her team have tirelessly pursued groundbreaking research on the life and works of Jamaican composers for over a decade. This effort has been made possible through a grant from the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation, documented at www.musicunitesjamaica.com. Another of Rosina’s successful milestone goals was to make the two preserved works by Felsted, the oratorio ‘Jonah’, and the ‘Six Voluntarys for Organ or Harpsichord’, available for purchase. Her close musical associate, Argentinean-German Professor Manfredo Zimmermann recently published these on: www.music-ornaments.com This unprecedented moment in Jamaican musical history is guaranteed to be a most memorable and momentous occasion and will be uploaded for public viewing on YouTube at a later date to be announced.
 JAMAICAN COMPOSERS SALUTE LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN A Virtual Concert Sunday, December 13, 2020, 4 p.m. Music Unites Jamaica Foundation (MUJF) has since its inception been celebrating those nationally, as well as internationally celebrated musical anniversaries. This year is the commemoration of the 250 th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Well, actually nobody knows the exact day when Beethoven was born, but his baptism was registered on December 17, 1770, in the small St. Remigius Catholic Church in Bonn, Germany. In the tradition of the time, a baby was baptized three or four days after birth, therefore Music Unites Jamaica Foundation is streaming a Virtual Concert honouring Ludwig van Beethoven on Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 4 p.m.
This Virtual Concert will open with a special Beethoven tribute, by young Jamaican pianist Alain Barrant, who will perform Beethoven’s famous ‘For Elise’. This programme will, at the same time, present original works by Jamaican composers, who will personally introduce their composition, as well as speak about what Ludwig van Beethoven means to each of them. So far very little is known about Jamaican composers, especially (several outstanding ones who do not live and work here. It is also worth mentioning that Jamaica can be proud of several very accomplished female composers in and outside of Jamaica! This virtual concert offers the opportunity to feature some of these Jamaican composers who live abroad, like Eleanor Alberga from the United Kingdom; Sharon Calcraft from Australia and Ted Runcie from Taiwan. Furthermore the programme will also include works by Paul Shaw and Andrew Marshall who reside in the United States and Peter Ashbourne our Jamaican veteran, as well as Michael Sean Harris, who is the sort of ‘new kid on the block’ from Spanish Town. We also would like to mention that several Jamaican instrumentalists and vocalists will be featured during this concert. The very accomplished pianist Paul Shaw will interpret his own composition, as well as one short sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, and the excellent tenor Michael Sean Harris will also perform his own work ‘Long Time Gal’, which is based on the very famous Jamaican folk song. Head of the piano department at the School of Music / Edna Manley College, Stephen Shaw Naar, will be the performer of the world premiere of Peter Ashbourne’s piece ‘Colon Man at Linstead Market’, and soprano Carline Waugh will give a rendition of Ashbourne’s song ‘Fi Mi Love have Lion Heart’, derived from the beautiful Jamaican love song. Last but not least Jamaica’s violinist extraordinaire Steven Woodham will open the concert with a solo fantasy filmed and recorded at the centre of the Chinese Garden, at Hope Botanical Gardens. It is our intention to stream this concert on as many platforms as possible such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, as well as on the local TV channel of PBCJ (Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica). Your financial assistancewould be much appreciated, and all sponsors will be featured with their logo and / or very a brief video clip during the programme. One of the two live hosts (a German and a Jamaican) will also announce during the programme, the kind sponsorship given by your organisation Looking forward to this “ODE TO JOY”! |
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December 2022
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