October 24, 2003
7:30 p.m.
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
Free admission
In 1995, after a long hiatus from composing, musician Enid Sutherland decided to
create a musical work based on an epic poem. Her recently completed composition,
entitled Daphne and Apollo Remade, will premiére October 24, 2003 at the Lydia
Mendelssohn Theater. The work will be performed by members of the Phoenix
Ensemble as well as vocal soloists and conducted by Annunziata Tomaro. IRWG is
excited to bring together outstanding artists and stage professionals from both
the University and Ann Arbor communities to mount this production.
Sutherland is an Adjunct Associate Professor of viola da gamba and early cello at the School of Music and an independent musician. Several years ago she became inspired to set an epic poem to music, and in her research she discovered the poetry of Alice Fulton, at the time a U-M Professor of English. Fulton, one of a group of poets who had been asked to retell the myths of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” had created a series of ten poems entitled "Give: A Sequence Reimagining Daphne and Apollo." Captivated by the lyricism of Fulton’s poetry, Sutherland had found exactly what she was looking for: “The variety of sounds, colors, and moods in Fulton’s vocabulary and phrases were wonderful matter for music making.”
Fulton’s version of the Daphne and Apollo myth tells the story from Daphne’s point of view, a striking departure from past interpretations. This focus was another element which drew Sutherland to the poems. The message in Daphne and Apollo Remade, Sutherland says, concerns the challenges and inequalities women have faced.
Daphne and Apollo Remade is a musical drama of opera length, but more in
the nature of Greek theater. The musical ensemble consists of a string quintet, saxophone, percussion, and a "chorus" of
three singers. Four singers share the solo role.
The Phoenix Ensemble, with singers Wendy Bloom, Deanna
Realyea, Monica Swartout-Bebow, Leah Dexter, Emily Benner, and Allen Schrott,
will perform Daphne and Apollo Remade at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre on
October 24, 2003, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. A
dessert reception for the artists and the public will follow the performance.
Ford Motor Company Fund provided generous support to stage Daphne and Apollo Remade. Additional support was provided by the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the Media Union, the University Musical Society, and the Copying Assistance Program of the American Music Center, as well as IRWG.
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