to premiere local works

Music's Recreation will present the world premiere of new music by local composer Christopher Morgan Loy at 2 p.m., Sunday Nov. 23 at the Unitarian Church, Ithaca.

Music's Recreation is known for presenting adventurous musical programs that enhance the love of music with commentary designed to introduce and make music accessible to a wide audience from children to seniors. This program will, in a way, turn this method on its head- the music will “explain” the words.

The new work is called “Poetic Rejuvenations.” It consists of eight short poems, each followed by a piece of music. The poems selected by the composer include two by poet Jay Leeming, who will read them all; the others are by Ernestina Snead, Mary Oliver, Kenneth McClane, Thirnicas Tepho and Billy Collins.

The music written for each “comments” on the poem in many ways, illuminating both the sense of the poem and also its rhythms and shape, and the intangible aspects of poetry that defy explanation with words. The composer has said that music is language without words, and this music indeed carries the poems onward beyond the endings of their words.

Tickets (at $6 per person, $20 family pass) will be available at the door or from the Ticket Center at the Clinton House in advance (at $7 per person, $20 family pass). For more information, call 539-7777.About the music

The music is composed for five players, flute, clarinet (and bass clarinet), violin, cello and piano, but in only one of the pieces -- the last and most elaborate -- are all five used. The other sections employ various combinations of two, three and four instruments, choosing the particular characters of the instruments to illuminate each poem. Among other treats for the ear and mind, the audience will hear the dark tones of the bass clarinet illuminating a poem called “Seven White Butterflies”.

The performers will be Laura Campbell, flute; John Greenly, clarinet; William Hurley, violin; Elisa Evett, cello; and, sharing piano duties, Karen Melamed Smith and William Cowdery. Mr. Loy was commissioned to compose this major new work by Music's Recreation with the generous support of Joan Sears, and with a grant from the Community Arts Partnership.

The production of this concert was also made possible in part with grant support from the Community Arts Partnership.