Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble 2021. Courtesy/SFWE

SFWE News:

The Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble announces two performances for its in-person spring 2022 concerts “Songs of the Magnificent Creation” at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1 at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe.

Seating will be at a reduced capacity, offering a more intimate concert setting. Tickets: $25 for general admission; $10 for military and students. Purchase tickets at sfwe.org; advance ticket sales only.

“We’re excited to finally offer this program,” Choral Director Dr. Linda Raney said. “Originally selected for our 40th anniversary, this music has inspired our hearts and stirred our souls as we return to rehearsing and performing live. We hope you will join us in celebrating the ‘magnificent creation’ of our world.”

From flora and fauna to the stars and heavens, this concert takes the audience on a journey into the beauty, diversity and wonder of nature. Composers Gwyneth Walker, Mark Sirett, Daniel J. Hall, Randall Thompson, Andrea Ramsey, Anne Boyd, René Clausen and Kim André Arnesen are the guides, using poetry of such time-honored, inspirational poets as Robert Frost, Julian of Norwich, Sara Teasdale, May Swenson, Langston Hughes and Hafiz. For an encore, the Ensemble will sing a lovely Ukrainian lullaby.

“The Raney Songs” serve as the centerpiece of the program. Composed by Linda Rice Beck and using the beautiful poetry of Raymond Raney, these four touching pieces will lift every ones’ heart.

Rice Beck is a native of Las Vegas, N.M. and graduated from the University of Akron, Ohio. Her music is published by Fred Bock Music (Hal Leonard) and National Music Publishers, and she is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Find her biography and more about Raymond Raney at sfwe.org.

Note: Masks and vaccination are required. Read the full SFWE COVID-19 protocol here:

Any person (including singers, contractors, volunteers and audience members) who is not feeling well must not attend any event (including meetings, rehearsals or performances). Any person who has been in close contact with someone having COVID-19 within the previous two weeks must not attend any event.

Attending an Event

• Vaccination: The Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble expects all eligible persons attending any event to be fully vaccinated.
• Masks: Properly worn; required of all persons at every event.
• Social distancing: Expected of all persons when entering, exiting and attending the event, except for those who are part of the same household or ticket group.
• Entry: Upon entering the building, move directly to your seat. Please do not stop to greet others.
• Exit: After the event, remain masked and move directly to the exits. Wait to greet others until you are outside and away from the exits.

(As the CDC, the New Mexico Department of Health and the City of Santa Fe issue new guidelines, this protocol may be updated. The Ensemble also follows the guidelines of the venue, First Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe.)

Concert Program

The concert is in four sections, each exploring part of the program title.

The Creator:

• “The Name is Changeless” by Gwyneth Walker; words by May Swenson
• “Every Child Has Known God” by Mark Sirett; words by Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

• “Illuminations of Julian of Norwich” by Daniel J. Hall; words by Julian of Norwich

Humanity:

• “The Raney Songs” by Linda Rice Beck; words by Raymond Raney:

“Living”
“For Eleanor”
“You Are (Home)”
“To Linda”

Awe:

• “Choose Something Like a Star” by Randall Thompson; words by Robert
• Frost
• “A Witness to Majesty” by Andrea Ramsey; words by Sara Teasdale

Rain / Flora and Fauna:

• “A Song of Rain” by Anne Boyd; words by C. J. Dennis
• “In Time of Silver Rain” by René Clausen; words by Langston Hughes
• “In this Sweet Summertime” by Kim André Arnesen; words by Joachim von Düben, translated by Catherine Winkworth

For more information: Call 505.303.8648 or email info@sfwe.org.