'Welcome to the West' debuts online Friday
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Several Houston-area residents are part of the multimedia concert film that premieres Friday and is available online through Dec 14.
Multimedia concert film "Welcome to the West" premieres online at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Music includes sonatas, concertos, traditional fiddling, folk tunes and 1940s western swing, and the performance features contemporary and historic film footage and photographs from the Library of Congress.
Dallas-based Lumedia Musicworks, a nonprofit performance organization committed to showcasing and performing early music, partnered with videographers and cowboy poets and narrators for the third production in Lumedia's 2020-21 season. This multimedia concert film about ranching life in the American West includes subtitles and a digital program.
Several Houston-area residents are part of the production.
"Baroque music, which was most popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, influenced the music we listen to today even if we don't realize it," said opera singer Julianna Emanski of Frisco, Lumedia's artistic director who also holds a doctorate in music entrepreneurship from the University of North Texas. "For instance, there are aspects of modern country-fiddling style in Baroque music."
The performance portion of 50-minute "Welcome to the West" was filmed in Celina and includes an ensemble of 10 instrumentalists; three vocalists, including Emanski; and four videographers all from Texas. Poets include a recording of the late Harry Jackson (1923-1973) of Cody, Wyo., the late Elizabeth Ebert (1925-2018) of Lemmon, S.D. which is narrated by Martha Weatherl of the Turtle Creek area of Dallas, and Paul Kern of Utah, which is narrated by RJ Wall of Stephenville. Living cowboy poets who narrate their own work include Waddie Mitchell of Elko, Nev., and Joel Nelson of Midland.
The film was shot in Stephenville with a cast all from Texas.
"Welcome to the West" tickets are $0-$20 at www.lumediamusicworks.com/west. [Student Tickets at no cost, and other discounts offered.] The performances will be available on-demand at the site until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, Central.
Because of coronavirus concerns, all Lumedia's performances are online this season. For a full schedule of events, go to www.lumediamusicworks.com/season.