THE CHERRY TREE ARRIVES SEPTEMBER 14
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Available September 14 on harmonia mundi, Anonymous 4 brings us the Christmas story as told in medieval English carols and Anglo-American spiritual songs. The program was inspired by the 15th-century miracle ballad "The Cherry Tree Carol", which flourishes both in the British Isles and in America. The group's rich, otherworldly vocal harmonies, attention to historical detail, oneness of sound and vast early-music discography have set the standard for all vocal ensembles to follow."Anonymous 4's trademark vocal blend, with its sparing use of vibrato and its careful dynamic gradations within phrases, suits this music beautifully."THE NEW YORK TIMES"Four voices blending perfectly in vowel color, tone and intonation. Faultless intonation and translucent vocal color"THE WASHINGTON POST
BIO
MARSHA GENENSKY grew up in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. After earning a B.A. in music and folklore from Scripps College, she traveled east in order to pursue an M.A. in folklore and folklife at the University of Pennsylvania before moving to New York and helping to found Anonymous 4. Languages, other historical research, plus writing and adapting readings for concert programs with Johanna, have been among her much-loved tasks for Anonymous 4. Inspired by her role as music director for the groups runaway hit CD, American Angels, she designed Gloryland as a sequel recording project with guest instrumentalists Darol Anger and Mike Marshall. She recently returned to California, and is spending this year as a visiting assistant professor at Stanford University. As longtime explorers of older musical treasures and creators of new ones, Marsha and Susan Hellauer have also become the duo The Lost Girls.
SUSAN HELLAUER is a native of the beautiful Bronx, New York. While she was earning a B.A. in music as a trumpeter from Queens College (City University of New York), an increasing fascination with medieval and Renaissance vocal music led her to convert to singing, and to pursue advanced degrees in musicology from Queens College and Columbia University. Susan handles Anonymous 4s medieval music research, and is an adjunct Associate Professor of Music at Queens College, CUNY. She has appeared as a soloist with the Harp Consort, and in October 2006 joins the U.S. tour of the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music. Susan also plays Baroque guitar with the New York Continuo Collective, and is a volunteer EMT with the Nyack Community Ambulance Corps. With Marsha, Susan is hard at work on an album of American tunes about lovers lost and true loves found, The Lost Girls first recording project for harmonia mundi usa.
JACQUELINE HORNER comes from a little village called Monkstown, in Northern Ireland. After getting a joint honors degree in Music and English from Queens University Belfast she moved to London and became a professional singer known for her willingness to sing all types of music, from baroque and classical opera and oratorio to the extremes of new music. (Her roles in contemporary opera included an 8-year-old girl, Jackie Kennedy, and a sheep.) She now is delighted to be living in New York. In addition to her recording and touring activities with Anonymous 4, she has a busy career as a soloist, appearing with many distinguished ensembles, including the Washington Bach Consort and the Carmel Bach Festival, and singing everything from Bach to Babbitt. She also teaches singing and ensemble vocal technique in Manhattan and beyond. For more information visit her website: Jacqueline Horner
RUTH CUNNINGHAM was raised in Millbrook, NY, but has spent most of her adult life in Manhattan. She received a B. Mus. in Performance of Early Music from the New England Conservatory of Music and is certified as a cross-cultural music and healing practitioner. She specializes in improvisational sacred music from varied spiritual traditions in both liturgical and concert settings. Her new solo program Light and Shadow, on which she accompanies herself on medieval harp, Renaissance flute, recorder, and piano, encompasses a mixture of music, including traditional chants from Western and Eastern traditions as well as her own compositions and improvisations. She also teaches classes and workshops on using the voice and music as tools for healing and transformation, Ruth was a member of Anonymous 4 until 1998; she rejoined the group in 2007. She has also performed with The Vox Vocal Ensemble, Early Music New York, Pomerium, and many other ensembles. For more information visit her website: Ruth Cunningham
