Vesuvius Ensemble Performs on April 15 at the Music Gallery

Toronto, Ontario, March 11, 2011: Toronto’s new Vesuvius Ensemble will follow their successful 2010 debut performances with a new program at the Toronto Music Gallery on Friday, April 15 at 8:00pm. The concert is entitled “I canti a Maria”: Music for the Madonna, and will present spirited songs to the virgin specific to regions outside Naples (which as early as the thirteenth century was called a ‘City of Mary.’) These songs are associated with annual processions devoted to the Madonna dell’Arco, the Madonna di Montevergine, and the Madonna delle Galline. The performance will celebrate a rich folk heritage of rustic dances, rhythms, feasts, processions, and pilgrimages that recall an ancient world, yet a world whose seasonal traditions are still repeated even today. Vesuvius Ensemble is dedicated to the musical and cultural heritage from Naples and other parts of southern Italy. The ensemble performs songs in dialect from the Italian countryside which have been passed on orally and in writing over centuries and finally researched and recorded in the twentieth century. The songs are accompanied by Baroque continuo instruments (Baroque guitars, chitarrone) in combination with rustic string, percussion, and wind instruments typical of the region (chitarra battente, colascione, tammorra, ciaramella). The ensemble is led by Francesco Pellegrino, the Italian tenor who performed at La Scala and now resides in Toronto, teaching Italian Art Song at the University of Toronto. Though a classically trained singer, Pellegrino also possesses rare first-hand experience with the traditional folk music of southern Italy, and has formed Vesuvius Ensemble as a North American vehicle for its performance and preservation. His bandmates are Marco Cera and Lucas Harris, versatile musicians from Toronto’s early music scene. Adding their talents to this performance will be guest percussionists Kate Robson and Ben Grossman. Summary: Vesuvius Ensemble Performs on April 15 at the Music Gallery Concert: “I canti a Maria”: Music for the Madonna Performers: Vesuvius Ensemble Francesco Pellegrino, voice & chitarra battente Marco Cera, Baroque guitar & ciaramella Lucas Harris, Baroque & Renaissance guitars, chitarrone With special guests: Kate Robson, tammorra & tamburello, Ben Grossman, percussion, hurdy-gurdy Date &Time: Friday, April 15, 2011 @ 8:00pm (doors open @ 7:30) Venue: Toronto Music Gallery: Church of St. George the Martyr, 197 John Street TTC: Osgood Subway Station Admission: $20 at the door only ($15 students/seniors) – No advance ticket sales