COMMISSIONED WORKS BY THE ENSEMBLE

Linda Raney shares how A Christmas Telling of St. Bride of the Isles, this year’s lovely commission came about:

“I have long been fascinated by St. Bride (Bridget of Kildare), especially after seeing the painting St. Bride by artist John Duncan. Based on the legend, the work depicts two angels bearing St. Bride from the Isles of Scotland to the Nativity in Bethlehem to serve as midwife to the birth of the Savior. Knowing that we had a wonderful Irish composer this year and not finding any poems about St. Bride I set my husband Raymond to work. Sarah and Raymond collaborated magnificently and produced an energetic musical interpretation of this myth.”

Thanks to Joy Ice and Ron Latimer for sponsoring this important commission.

The Raney Songs, composed by Linda Rice Beck,  is graciously sponsored by Linda and Raymond Raney in celebration of their 37 years together. The poetry was written by Raymond Raney, with many of the poems about Linda Raney, his wife and our director.  (Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Linda Rice Beck’s The Raney Songs will be performed Spring 2022.)

Mementos of the Compass of Time, composed by David Beatty,  was graciously sponsored by Pauline and Jim Toevs. Pauline shared their inspiration to sponsor the commission,  “At the same time Linda is celebrating 30 years as director of the Women’s Ensemble, we are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary—a perfect combination of joyous occasions to honor with new music.”

Tell Me/Oseh Shalom Ur’fuah, composed by Karen Siegel, was sponsored by longtime Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble member Susan Phillips in memory of her husband, Ransom Reynolds, and in honor of her step-daughter, Stephanie Reynolds.

Reina de la Noche by Z. Randall Stroope was written in honor of the Ensemble’s 35th Anniversary and premiered May 22, 2016. It was made possible by a generous gift from Caroline Burnett.