WEST OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

“West of the English Channel” is a chamber concert with works by Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Harold Arlen, Stephen Sondheim, as well as Spirituals of America.

Programme

Spirituals of America – American religious songs
“Deep River”
“Steal away to Heaven”
“Witness”
Performed by Gergana Rusekova

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
“Sure on this shining night” Op. 13, lyrics by James Agee
“The Daisies” Op. 2, lyrics by James Stephens
“I hear an army” Op. 10, lyrics by James Joyce
“The Crucifixion” Op. 29, lyrics by Howard Jones
“A Nun takes the Veil” Op. 13, lyrics by Gerald Hopkins
“With rue my heart is laden” Op. 2, lyrics by Alfred Housman
“The Secrets of the Old” Op. 13, lyrics by William Butler
Performed by Mariana Zvetkova

George Gershwin (1898-1937)
“Somebody loves me”, lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and Buddy DeSylva
Performed by Rada Toteva
“I will build a stairway to paradise”, lyrics by Ira Gerswin and Buddy DeSylva
Performed by Rada Toteva
“Summertime” – Bess' song from the opera “Porgy and Bess”, lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Performed by Gergana Rusekova
“Bess, you are my woman now” – duet from the opera “Porgy and Bess”, lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Performed by Gergana Rusekova and Stefan Vladimirov
“My Man's gone now” – Serena's song from the opera “Porgy and Bess”, lyrics by DuBose Heyward
Performed by Mariana Zvetkova

Kurt Weill (1900-1950)
“Alabama song” – from the opera “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” to libretto by Bertolt Brecht
Performed by Rada Toteva

Harold Arlen (1905-1986)
“Somewhere over the rainbow” – from the film “The Wizard of Oz”, lyrics by Yip Harburg
Performed by Rada Toteva

Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021)
“Send in the Clowns” from the musical “A Little Night Music”, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim after Hugh Wheeler’s book
Performed by Mariana Zvetkova

Spirituals of America – American religious songs
“Joshua fit the battle of Jericho”
“My Lord, what a Morning”
Performed by Gergana Rusekova
“The Gospel of Grace”
Performed by Gergana Rusekova and Mariana Zvetkova

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
“I feel pretty” from the musical “West Side Story”, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim after Arthur Laurents’ book
Performed by Mariana Zvetkova, Gergana Rusekova and Rada Toteva 
Accompanist: Milen Stanev