Wheaton hosts evening of renaissance and baroque music

The Wheaton Consort, an early music ensemble, will present a concert in the Woolley Room of Mary Lyon Hall at Wheaton College on Saturday, October 6, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. The ensemble members, Joanne Mouradjian, soprano, Janet Haas, viole de gamba, Ed Merck, recorders and Carlton T. Russell, harpsichord will perform music of the Renaissance and Baroque Period, including compositions by Dowland, Frescobaldi, Telemann , Cima and Galuppi.

Formed in 1992, the Wheaton Consort appears throughout New England, specializing in the historically informed performance of Renaissance and Baroque music. Centered at Wheaton College, the ensemble presents and eclectic repertory, some rarely heard and all played on period instruments.

In addition to their connection with Wheaton, all four members of the Consort maintain active professional careers in performing, teaching and recording. Joanne Mouradjian is on the faculty of Wheaton College and Rhode Island College, and appears frequently as soloist in choral concerts and in recitals and musical theatre productions across the northeast. Janet Haas performs with the Baroque ensemble in La Sonnerie from Boston, the viole trio Oriana, and The Folger Consort from Washington, DC and has recorded with The Boston Camarata on the Erasto label. Ms.Haas teaches strings and conducts two orchestras for the Lexington, MA public schools and is a popular coach at workshops sponsored by The Viola de Gamba Society of America. Ed Merck has been active in music for over thirty years as a performer on the cornetto and recorders with ensembles including Baroque Quintessence, Basically Baroque and Issac's Boys. Carlton T. Russell, a former harpsichord student of John Gibbons, is active as an organ recitalist and can be heard on the CD recording ''With Grateful Gladness'' featuring the large 1969 Casavant organ in the Wheaton College chapel. Professor.Russell, a teacher of early music history, music writing and organ at Wheaton College for over thirty-years, remains active as an ensemble harpsichordist, a recitalist on historic pipe organs and a choral conductor.

The concert is open to the public without charge. Call Betsy Cronin, Wheaton's Program Coordinator for the Arts at 508-286-3644 for further information.

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