Concert II
THE RETURN: Night of the Living Composers
Saturday, November 7, 2026 |7pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz

Guest Artists:
String Quartet from NMW Ensemble
Elizabeth Neff, mezzo - soprano
Kenny Hill & Christopher Mallet - guitars
Ivan Rosenblum - piano

REPERTOIRE
Ivan Rosenblum - Aus hebräischen gesängen (voice, string quartet and piano)
Kenny Hill - Songs from Home, guitar(s)
Michael McGushin - String Quartet
Barry Phillips - Introduction and Jig for pipes (arr. for string quartet)

RETURN: NIGHT OF THE LIVING COMPOSERS
Eclecticism is not the objective of our “Night of the Living Composers” concert format, but it has been the inevitable outcome of over one dozen iterations of this format since 1985. Variety is perhaps what makes this concert so enjoyable.

In Ivan Rosenblum’s art song, "Aus hebräischen gesängen” for mezzo-soprano, string quartet and piano, the composer draws from Robert Schumann's song of that title. "Rosenblum's treatment of the Schumann song is a metaphor for the atrocities of the Holocaust. It also evokes the historic transition from late Romantic music to the atonal experiments of the early 20th century to elucidate ironies and atrocities of that era.

On a completely different note, Kenny Hill’s new “Songs from Home” for solo guitar, reflects the pastoral sweetness of the composer’s San Lorenzo Valley surroundings. Music by Michael McGushin, Philip Collins and others TBA will be featured.

NMW String Quartet