Early Music Ensemble Celebrates Togetherness

SAN DIEGO — 

In the arena of early music, long dominated by amateurism, San Diego’s Early Music Ensemble is a praiseworthy anomaly. The professionalism and high performance standards of the vocal quintet have been validated at festivals in Europe and North America.

Founded in 1972 by San Diego City College music professor James Paul, the group has not only kept an active local performance schedule but has made a European concert tour every other year since 1973.

To celebrate the Early Music Ensemble’s 20th anniversary, the group will give a concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral. Alto Victoria Heins-Shaw described the program as a potpourri of the music the group most enjoys performing.

“When we put together the ‘A-list’ of things we liked to sing, it came to a four-hour concert,” she said.

After the usual democratic group discussion--the ensemble has no designated leader--they pared the list to a manageable length. The fare will range from medieval British music to French and Italian compositions of the high Renaissance.

Heins-Shaw, a freelance musician, explained the group’s longevity in terms of the strong personal ties developed among the members.

“We have the same dynamics as a bunch of nifty relatives. We’ve traveled together, endured mishaps and crazy situations. We’ve become like an open book to each other and we’ve worked out how to deal with each other. Of course, this has its parallels in our music-making. We are disparate individuals, but we’ve clicked and have stood the test of time.”

When the group began, it was called the Early Music Quartet. Under Paul, it gave its first concert in the lobby of the City College Theatre. Although Paul dropped out of the ensemble after experiencing some vocal difficulties in 1978, original members John Peeling, a tenor (who also works as a computer marketing specialist), and soprano Elisabeth Marti (who is also a travel agent) still sing with the group.

In 1974, the roster expanded to five singers from four, requiring the change of name to the current Early Music Ensemble.

“Soprano Anne Chase was supposed to join us on our European tour of 1975, but she became pregnant, and her doctor advised against travel. Kathryn Evans joined us in her place and remained several years until her husband took a medical residency on the East Coast.”

The group’s first European tours were facilitated by Marti’s personal and professional connections in her native Switzerland. But once the ensemble proved themselves to audiences, the group was invited back.

“A number of our festivals have been repeat engagements,” Heins-Shaw said. “In fact, the average tour is half new locations and half repeats.”

Among the European festivals that have featured the group are the Ambraser Schlosskonzerte, held in Innsbruck and Switzerland’s Sion Festival International de l’Orgue Ancien. Heins-Shaw, who sometimes provides keyboard accompaniment when called upon, particularly recalled the Sion festival because she was allowed to play on the historic Sion organ, known as the oldest extant organ in the world.

The ensemble’s other members are bass Philip Larson, a member of the UC San Diego music faculty, and soprano Constance Lawthers, a City College music teacher.

From Prague with love. The 36-member Prague Chamber Orchestra will make its local debut at 8 p.m. Oct. 1 in La Jolla’s 500-seat Sherwood Auditorium. The added non-subscription concert was announced by the La Jolla Chamber Music Society executive director Neale Perl earlier this week.

Like New York’s Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, the Prague orchestra plays without conductor. For this concert, American violinist Robert McDuffie will join the Prague musicians in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. The program also includes Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony and Martinu’s Serenade No. 3.

Everyone who has contributed $50 or more to the La Jolla society over the last year has received an invitation to attend the concert as a guest of the society. Members of the general public who wish to hear the concert may phone the society (459-3724) and place their name on a waiting list. After Sept. 21, the society will notify them. As of Thursday, about 200 society supporters had accepted invitations to the chamber orchestra concert.

Vocal Auditions. The La Jolla Symphony Chorus will hold auditions for experienced singers Sept. 20. Among the major projects the chorus will undertake in the 1992-93 season are the U.S. premiere of Martin Wesley-Smith’s “Boojum!” a theater piece based on “Alice in Wonderland,” and Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah” in collaboration with the San Diego Symphony and Master Chorale. Call chorus manager Beda Farrell (727-5158) for an audition appointment.

CRITIC’S CHOICE

GUEST CONDUCTOR BARRIOS

Tonight is the last chance to hear guest conductor Enrique Barrios lead the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Master Chorale in Beethoven’s Fifth and Ninth Symphonies.

Barrios, music director of Mexico City’s Opera de Bellas Artes, is making his local debut this week at the San Diego SummerPops. Vocal soloists for the Ninth are soprano Pamela Kucenic, mezzo Alyce Rogers, tenor Jonathan Welch and bass Stephen West.

Curtain time at Embarcadero Marina Park South is 7:30 p.m.