A Symposium and festival celebrating the music and legacy of Dr. Ephraim amu
A festival celebrating the music of Ghanaian composer, Dr. Ephraim Amu (1899-1995), will be held in Boston, MA February 21-22, 2014. Eminent African scholar J.H. Kwabena Nketia notes: “There is no single individual who has influenced the course of the development of art music in contemporary Ghana as much as Dr. Ephraim Amu.”[1]
The two-day series of performances, workshops and presentations is hosted by New England Conservatory (NEC) and Tufts University Music Department. Friday activities take place at NEC, with two sessions of presentations and a late-afternoon panel. Featured speakers include Dr. Kofi Agawu-Princeton, and Dr. Bode Omojola from Mt. Holyoke College. Misonu Amu, Dr. Amu's daughter, will be joining us from Ghana, as will Dr. George Dor from Ole Miss. These sessions are followed by an evening concert of African repertoires, including some of the most popular choral works of Amu: Abibrimma, Yɛŋ Ara Asasse, and Saŋ Bɛfa alongside traditional genres, some of which influence these works: Asafo, Bɔbɔbɔ, and Adzogbo. Featured performers include Nani Abgeli (one of the leading Ghanaian dancers of his generation), the Agbekor Society, (founded by David Locke, directed by Nani Agbeli), and choirs from both Tufts and NEC. On Saturday, two workshops at Tufts University explore Dr. Amu's choral music and traditional Ewe ritual music for percussion and dance. Misonu Amu, will lead the first workshop focused on her father’s music, and Nani Agbeli will lead the second workshop in dance/drumming.
All events are free and open to the public, including the scholarly symposium on the 21st. We do ask, however, that any who would like to attend the Scholarly sessions register here. Simply write "Amu Symposium" in the subject line, and note your name in the body of the post.
[1] Amu Choral Works, Volume 1, Introduction.
The two-day series of performances, workshops and presentations is hosted by New England Conservatory (NEC) and Tufts University Music Department. Friday activities take place at NEC, with two sessions of presentations and a late-afternoon panel. Featured speakers include Dr. Kofi Agawu-Princeton, and Dr. Bode Omojola from Mt. Holyoke College. Misonu Amu, Dr. Amu's daughter, will be joining us from Ghana, as will Dr. George Dor from Ole Miss. These sessions are followed by an evening concert of African repertoires, including some of the most popular choral works of Amu: Abibrimma, Yɛŋ Ara Asasse, and Saŋ Bɛfa alongside traditional genres, some of which influence these works: Asafo, Bɔbɔbɔ, and Adzogbo. Featured performers include Nani Abgeli (one of the leading Ghanaian dancers of his generation), the Agbekor Society, (founded by David Locke, directed by Nani Agbeli), and choirs from both Tufts and NEC. On Saturday, two workshops at Tufts University explore Dr. Amu's choral music and traditional Ewe ritual music for percussion and dance. Misonu Amu, will lead the first workshop focused on her father’s music, and Nani Agbeli will lead the second workshop in dance/drumming.
All events are free and open to the public, including the scholarly symposium on the 21st. We do ask, however, that any who would like to attend the Scholarly sessions register here. Simply write "Amu Symposium" in the subject line, and note your name in the body of the post.
[1] Amu Choral Works, Volume 1, Introduction.
