Newspeak Ensemble Concert Combines Rock and Classical Music at College of Saint Elizabeth, February 23, 2011

Newspeak, an eight-piece amplified ensemble incorporating elements of a rock band and new classical music, will perform in the Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center, on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J. on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a pre-concert lecture by CSE music faculty member Pamela Stein, who is a classical singer and contemporary music performer. The concert follows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for students with valid identification; and $5 for CSE students with valid identification. For ticket information, contact events@cse.edu or 973-290-4378.

Under the direction of composer David T. Little and clarinetist Eileen Mack, Newspeak has commissioned, work-shopped, and premiered work of some of the most exciting members of the new generation. During the CSE concert, Newspeak will perform tracks from its new record, Sweet Light Crude, as well as a special preview of part one of Grammy-nominated, jazz musician and composer Darcy James Argue’s new work, The Sleep Room. It is the first time Argue has composed a piece for a group other than his own.

Other artists championed by Newspeak include Oscar Bettison, Corey Dargel, Ted Hearne, Caleb Burhans, Missy Mazzoli, Judd Greenstein, and David T. Little, as well as established masters like Frederic Rzewski and Paul Lansky. The group has been featured in the annual MATA festival in New York City. MATA is a non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and presenting works by young composers. Newspeak has held multiple residencies at Princeton University, shared bills with The Fiery Furnaces as part of Wordless Music, and performed as part of John Zorn’s Full Force Festival.

Their debut album Sweet Light Crude has met with critical acclaim. Says Ronni Reich of The Star Ledger, “Newspeak is a band of classically trained musicians, including Weehawken-based founder, composer and drummer David T. Little. But this debut album makes it clear that shirking conservatory protocol to rock out doesn’t mean just one thing. With a hard-driving beat, Pat Muchmore’s Brennschluss starts out as one of the heavier tracks. Then, exemplifying Newspeak’s eclecticism, it morphs into what sounds like an operatic recitative transferred to a feedback-ridden poetry slam followed by accelerating chaos. Little’s skillfully constructed title “love song to oil” maintains a moody, obsessive feel as it balances sad, tender, and lovely chamber music in upper instrumental voices with relentless percussion, grumbling bass and a well-timed, powerful outburst.

“On six tracks, all by different composers, everything somehow makes sense, whether the musicians are taking on noisy funk or a soft, steady ballad. The group’s flexibility deserves commendation, and is also part of the fun. But a special shout out goes to Mellissa Hughes whose wide-ranging and crystal-toned singing defies normal vocal limitations.”

The CSE Concert program, which is subject to change, will feature B and E (with aggravated assault), Oscar Bettison, composer; I Would Prefer Not To, Stefan Weisman, composer; sweet light crude, David T. Little, composer; Brennschluss, Pat Muchmore, composer; A Portrait of Glenn Beck, Matt Marks, composer; Requiem for a General Motors in Janesville, WI, Caleb Burhans, composer; and The Sleep Room, Part 1, Darcy James Argue, composer.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at http://www.cse.edu/.