Concert Series Starts May 24 with 'Weep No More'

The 2015 Concerts on the Hill season kicks off this Sunday, May 24, with “Weep No More: English Art Song from the early 20th Century” performed by Andrew Sokol, tenor and Jeff DeLangie, Jr., pianist, according to a press statement.

The performance will take place at St John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth and begins at 4 pm. There is a suggested at-the-door donation of $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Children under 16 are welcomed and encouraged to attend at no charge.

“Weep No More: English art songs from the early 20th century” includes music from the first three decades of the 20th century. The program features song cycles by Roger Quilter and Gerald Finzi, who are representatives of a period known as the Second English Renaissance. The texts for these songs were all written during the first English Renaissance. This pairing of 16th century texts with 20th century music allows for the unusually profound music-making. Audience members will have the opportunity to hear directly from the performers about these musical selections.

New Hampshire-born tenor Andrew Sokol maintains an active performing schedule throughout the New England region, appearing in concert with Piccola Opera, OperaHub, Lowell House Opera, the Portsmouth Singers, and New Hampshire-based chamber choirs Capella Alamire and Cappella Nova Mundi. Mr. Sokol travels to Europe this summer to help represent the United States in the 2015 World Choir Games in Magdeburg. His future plans involve recording the complete vocal works of Fryderyk Chopin and the songs of the Second English Renaissance. Sokol is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.

Pianist Jeff DeLangie, Jr. has performed extensively both as soloist and accompanist. He is a regular accompanist in the New Hampshire area. Currently, he is the staff accompanist for the newly formed NH Opera company, “Piccola Opera”, and is the full time pianist/organist for First Parish congregational church in Derry, NH. Other musical pursuits include the study of contemporary piano, arranging and composition. Delangie attended the University of New Hampshire for piano performance.

“This concert presents music that is intensely emotionally compelling,” noted Margaret Harper, Director of Music and Liturgy, St. John’s Episcopal Church. “It provides glimpses into the ways in which two composers grappled with the beauty of life in contrast with the horrors of the two world wars.”

The next concert in the series will take place on June 28 and will feature Soprano Lauren Kaiser, Dorothy Braker on cello and Paul Dykstra on piano. For the complete 2015 Concerts on the Hill schedule, please visit stjohnnh.org/COTH.

St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at 100 Chapel Street in Portsmouth, NH. For more information about Concerts on the Hill or St. John’s Episcopal Church, please visit www.stjohnsnh.org/COTH.

About Concerts on the Hill

Concerts on the Hill, a production of St. John’s Episcopal Church, is dedicated to providing the Seacoast community with concert experiences of the highest caliber, where audiences are invited to engage with music in a dynamic way.The series of concerts from May to October is open to music lovers of all ages, including younger audiences looking to develop their interest in a range of musical styles. St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at 100 Chapel Street in Portsmouth, NH. For more information, please visit www.stjohnsnh.org/COTH

Caption: Tenor Andrew Sokol, concert series graphic. Courtesy