Fine Art Music together with Kairos Trio present a melting pot of music styles across America.

MUSIC BY: Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Charles Ives, Lukas Foss, Edward Macdowell, Jennifer Higdon, Rollin Wilber

PERFORMED BY
Robert Edwin, baritone
Rollin Wilber, piano
Thomas DiSarlo, violin
Talia Schiff, cello
Kasia Salwinski, piano

A splendid variety of classical instrumental works for combinations of piano, violin, and cello, by American composers from early twentieth century up through today, blended with special spirited and deeply poetic folksongs for baritone, drawn from our heritage, from near and abroad, and arranged to infuse classical elements with the best of authentic ballads.

These traditional ballads from America, Ireland, England and Scotland have been arranged by our pianist, Rollin Wilber, for baritone voice with piano (as well as two additional pieces with violin). They are melodic, poignant songs, spirited by human stories of all kinds, from heart-wrenching love, its joy and tragedy, to pirating on the high seas.

The songs are woven together with a great variety of music by Edward Macdowell (piano Idylls), Charles Ives (In the Barn for violin), Lukas Foss (Capriccio for cello); additionally, George Gershwin’s Preludes and Virtuoso Etudes, and the touching Pale Yellow by Jennifer Hogdon, all done for piano trio, so diverse in their styles. The result is a “melting pot” of sensibilities, juxtaposed with each other, displaying a wonderful array of sounds, musical feelings and colors.

Our concert culminates in the Piano Trio for piano, violin and cello by the inimitable Leonard Bernstein, written when he was 19.

MUSICAL PROGRAM

New England Idylls for solo piano, by Edward Macdowell
       An Old Garden, From Puritan Days, The Joy of Autumn

Henry Martin – Scottish folk song
Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies – American folk ballad
Down by the Salley Gardens – Irish air (based on poem by Yeats)
Gypsy Rover – Irish ballad by Leo McGuire
(all ballads arranged by Rollin Wilber)

In the Barn (2^nd movement from Violin Sonata #2) for violin & piano, by Charles Ives

Spanish Is A Loving Tongue – American cowboy ballad by Billy Simon (from a poem by Charles Badger Clark)
Polly Von – traditional Irish folk song (blended with Prelude in B minor by A. Siloti/J.S. Bach)

Pale Yellow for piano trio, by Jennifer Higdon

INTERMISSION

Capriccioso for cello & piano, by Lukas Foss

Virtuoso Etudes for piano trio, by George Gershwin/Earl Wild
(based on the songs, The Man I Love and Embraceable You)

Three Preludes (transcribed for piano trio), by George Gershwin

Gentle One, for voice, violin & piano, by Rollin Wilber (poem by Sally Lou Nation)
My Lagan Love – Irish ballad – for voice, violin & piano

Piano Trio by Leonard Bernstein

BUY TICKETS! – for Ivy Hall concerts

BUY TICKETS! – for Ethical Society Building concerts

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2026 at 7:30 pm

THE ETHICAL SOCIETY BUILDING
1906 S. Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103