Concerts at Blessed Sacrament: Sweeter than Roses
$25 advance, $30 at the door
- Caitlin Hennessy, soprano
- Cassandra Willock, soprano
- Alan Wheaton, tenor
- Sheila Bristow, harpsichord
- Steve Creswell, Baroque violin
- Cecilia Archuleta, Baroque violin
- Laurel Wells, Baroque viola
- Laura Kramer, Baroque cello
- Kris Kwapis, Baroque trumpet
- Michael Plagerman, organ & conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach — Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51
Henry Purcell — Sweeter than roses, Z. 585, No. 1
Henry Purcell — "Music for a while" from Oedipus, Z. 583
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck — Est-ce Mars?, SWwV 321
Henry Purcell — An Evening Hymn, Z. 193
Henry Purcell — The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation, Z. 196
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani — O Dulcis Jesu
Georg Böhm — Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten
"Sweeter than Roses" features solo vocal cantatas by J. S. Bach and Rosenmüller, solo songs by Purcell, and keyboard works by Böhm and Sweelinck. Blessed Sacrament's new harpsichord and continuo organ are joined by baroque strings and trumpet for an evening of music that "shall all your cares beguile".
About Cassandra Willock, soprano
Cassandra Willock is a soprano from Shoreline, Washington. In 2017, she graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a BM in Vocal Performance and an Economics Minor. Cassandra has been seen as Jou-Jou in Tacoma Opera's The Merry Widow and as Rose Maurrant in PLU's summer workshop production of Street Scene; she has also worked with Seattle Opera in their education programs as a teaching assistant.
https://www.blessed-sacrament.org/cassandra-willockAbout Alan Wheaton, tenor
Alan Wheaton is an active professional tenor in the Seattle area. In addition to his freelance work, Alan serves as a section leader at Christ Episcopal Church and a regular singer for the Dickens Carolers. He is also past member and cantor with the St. Mark’s Compline Choir.
https://www.blessed-sacrament.org/alan-wheatonAbout Sheila Bristow, harpsichord
Sheila Bristow is a church musician, composer, and collaborative keyboardist in Tacoma, Washington. She serves as assistant director of sacred music at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and keyboardist for Harmonia Chorus and Orchestra.
http://www.sheilagailbristow.com/About Steve Creswell, Baroque violin
Steve Creswell, viola and violin, believes in the nurturing power of the musical project. Originally from the Midwest, Steve has lived for 20-plus years in the Pacific NW and treasures many experiences with audiences and small ensembles here, from the North Corner Chamber Orchestra to baroque orchestras in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. Steve has toured with groups including La Monica from LA and Opera Lafayette in Washington, DC and New York. More locally he has collaborated with the Lafayettte Quartet (no direct relation to Opera) and has devoted countless hours to musical education for young people in programs in and out of the school districts.
https://www.nocco.org/steve-creswellAbout Cecilia Archuleta, Baroque violin
About Laurel Wells, Baroque viola
About Laura Kramer, Baroque cello
Laura Kramer has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician on baroque and modern cello. She has performed as continuo and solo cellist with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, NYS Baroque, the Grande Bande and Glimmerglass Opera. Laura also performs with many choral groups in the Seattle area, including Seattle Bach Choir, Mirinesse Women's Choir, Bellvue Chamber Chorus and Vespertine Opera.
About Kris Kwapis, Baroque trumpet
About Michael Plagerman, organ & conductor
Michael Plagerman is the Director of Sacred Music at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Seattle, where he oversees concert planning, shares organ duties, and directs the parish choir as well as the cantorei, a professional vocal ensemble that sings choral masses and concerts throughout the year. Michael holds degrees from Pacific Lutheran University, the University of Notre Dame, and Cornell University where he studied with Paul Tegels, Craig Cramer, Douglas Reid, Nathan Laube, Christophe Mantoux, and Annette Richards. In the completion of these degrees, he has received numerous scholarships and awards including the James D. Holloway Scholar, the David P. Dahl Organ Scholar, and the Craig Cramer Award in Organ Performance. He is currently finishing his doctoral dissertation through Cornell University, researching late 19th-century American organ performance in Boston.
https://music.cornell.edu/michael-plagerman