April 7, 2018 at 7:30pm at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Johnstown, Pennsylvania

North American Premiere: Dame Ethel Smyth's The Prison

Dame Ethel Smyth is one of the most important female composers of the modern era, and her final large-scale composition, The Prison, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, has never been performed in North America with full orchestra. James is proud to bring this first performance to Johnstown.

After a two-year process, James is grateful to have been named the editor of the new performance edition by Novello/Schirmer, undertaken through a grant from the Women's Philharmonic Advocacy and with support from the board of the Experiential Orchestra. This first orchestral performance in Johnstown features Dashon Burton and Marlissa Hudson as the voice of the Prisoner and his Soul.  

In a remarkable and unusual collaboration, James has been working closely with the Cecilia Chorus of New York, Mark Shapiro, conductor, who will perform the piece on May 11, 2018 in the Carnegie Hall Premiere, in what the organizations are calling a "co-premiere," joining the two performances by sharing singers and press. For more about that performance and about this collegial partnership, please view here.

The April 7 performance will be broadcast on WQED/WQEJ on Friday, April 27 at 8pm. More information about that broadcast available shortly.