Annual Kendall Concert features 'Love and Lamentation in the 17th Century'

Love and Lamentation in the 17th Century, a program of classical music performed by Sally Sanford, soprano, and Catherine Liddell, lute and theorbo, will be presented at 8 p.m. March 25, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St. The program includes “Songs of Darkness” by John Dowland, “Toccata” by Alessandro Piccinini, “Lamento della Madonna” by Claudio Monteverdi and “Amante Felice” by Giovanni Stefani. The public is invited to attend the annual Edith C. and Raymond L. Kendall Concert, and admission is free.

Sanford and Liddell, who have performed together for nearly 20 years, founded the trio Ensemble Chanterelle, which specializes in 17th-century dramatic and virtuosic literature. They made their New York recital debut in 1984 with Ensemble Chanterelle as first-prize winners of the Concert Artists Guild International Award.

Liddell graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and holds the soloist diploma from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland. A noted specialist in continuo accompaniments on the theorbo, Liddell’s most recent compact disc is “La Belle voilée” for Centaur Records. She has performed with Aston Magna, the Boston Camerata, the Smithsonian Chamber Players, Tafelmusik and the Handel and Hayden society, among others.

Sanford, one of the foremost American specialists in historical vocal styles and techniques, is equally at home in lieder and oratorio and has a repertoire ranging from the 12th century to the 20th century. A summa cum laude graduate of Yale University, where she studied literature and music, Sanford studied performance practice at Stanford University. She has recorded for Albany Records, Musical Heritage Society, Lyrachord and Harmonia Mundi Germany, among others.

Love and Lamentation in the 17th Century represents the seventh annual Kendall Concert, made possible by the Edith C. and the Raymond L. Kendall ’19 Endowment Fund and the Bates College Concert Series. The Kendall Fund was established by Edith C. Kendall and Raymond L. Kendall, retired professor of education and psychology at Bates.