Arcadia Players Present THE ITALIANS TAKE BRITAIN: GEMINIANI & BARSANTI at the Shandelee Music Festival

Andrew Arceci, distinguished Violist da gamba and Artistic Director of the Arcadia Players-New England's period instrument ensemble-will lead the ensemble in two performances of a program entitled "The Italians take Britain: Geminiani and Barsanti" on Tuesday evening, August 15, 2023, 8 p.m. at the Shandelee Music Festival (442 J. Young Road, Livingston Manor, NY 12758) and Saturday afternoon, August 19, 2023, 3 p.m. at Amherst's South Church (1066 South East St., Amherst, MA 01002).

In 1714, two musicians from Lucca, Italy--Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762) and Francesco Barsanti (1690-1775)--immigrated to London, England. In 1742, Barsanti published A Collection of Old Scots Tunes. Seven years later, in 1749, Geminiani published A Treatise of Good Taste in the Art of Musick. Pulling from both collections, the program will showcase Italianate renditions of British folk tunes. The concerts will feature Hailey Fuqua, soprano, Asako Takeuchi, baroque violin, Lisa Rautenberg, baroque violin, Peter Sulski, baroque viola, Hideki Yamaya, archlute, William Simms, theorbo, and Andrew Arceci, viola da gamba. Full program follows:

Francesco Barsanti The Lass of Peatie's Mill

Francesco Geminiani Song: The Lass of Peaty's Mill

Francesco Barsanti Broom of Cowdenknows

Francesco Geminiani Sonata: The Broom of Cowdenknows

Francesco Geminiani Song: The Night her silent Sable wore

Francesco Barsanti The Bush aboon Traquair

Francesco Geminiani Sonata: Bush aboon Traquair

INTERMISSION

Francesco Geminiani Song: When Phoebus bright

Francesco Barsanti The last time I came o'er the moor

Francesco Geminiani Sonata III: The Last Time I Came o'er the Moor

Francesco Geminiani Song: O Betsy Bell

How to Purchase Tickets:

For the Shandelee Music Festival concert, general admission of $35, member tickets of $30, and $10 tickets for students 17 and under is available on the Shandlee Music Festival website. For the August 19 concert, general admission of $25 can be purchased on the event page. Students and children 12 and under admitted free of charge. For more information, please visit Arcadia Players' website.

Andrew Arceci has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to serving as Arcadia Players' Artistic Director, he is the Founding Director of the Winchendon Music Festival (Winchendon, MA). During the 2019-2020 academic year, Mr. Arceci was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

Mr. Arceci has taught at several institutions, including Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Wellesley College (Director, Collegium Musicum), and Worcester State University. Additionally, he has given lectures, masterclasses, and/or workshops at Illinois Wesleyan University, the International Baroque Institute at Longy (Bard College), the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, the Narnia Arts Academy (Italy), Institutum Romanum Finlandiae (Italy), Taipei National University of the Arts (Taiwan), and Burapha University (Thailand). Founder in 2016 of the Winchendon Music Festival, Mr. Arceci performs internationally not just on viol, but also violone, and bass.