Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Rose Ensemble


My friend Jordan (pictured above standing third from left) is the founder and artistic director of the Rose Ensemble, which tomorrow night (Monday, March 31) presents a program at the Ridgedale Library entitled, “Music from the Land of Three Faiths.”

The Rose Ensemble is a choral ensemble of international renown. Last fall, for instance, it was awarded first place in a competition of more than one thousand choirs from around the world at the 39th Annual Tolosa (Spain) International Choral Competition.


Tomorrow night’s performance will take place at the Ridgedale Library, where the Rose Ensemble will sing to accompaniment of Middle Eastern instruments such as the riqq, dumbek, rebec, ud (guitar), hurdy-gurdy (a lute-like instrument) and frame drum.

The program sounds fascinating – not only because of the interesting instrumentation that will be seen and heard, but because it will explore the ancient music and culture of medieval Spain, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together in a shared, artistic society.

So, if you’re in the Twin Cities area, check out the Rose Ensemble at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow evening at the Ridgedale Library, located at 12601 Ridgedale Drive in Minnetonka. This event is free and open to the public.

To watch members of the Rose Ensemble in a KARE 11 Showcase Minnesota preview of this event, click here.

Image: Michael Haug.

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