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SPRING APPEAL 2023

As another Blue Heron season draws to a close – and with it, our monumental survey of the complete works of Johannes Ockeghem – we are taking a moment to reflect on the many amazing moments of music-making this season has brought, and to turn our gaze to the future.

In addition to the final two programs of Ockeghem@600, we explored themes of Fortune and Fame in February and took a trip to Renaissance Spain in our Christmas program. In the Fall, we continued our fruitful musical partnership with Debra Nagy and Les Délices with our CD release of Machaut’s Remede de Fortune. We welcomed guest instrumentalists in December, and closed out the season with a stellar line-up of international virtuosi, delving into the world of Isabella d’Este – again in partnership with Les Délices. Collaborations like these are deeply enriching to Blue Heron’s work, opening avenues and leading us down pathways that are sometimes unexpected, and always rewarding. We are so pleased and grateful to have had you with us on the journey this year.

We are committed to bringing the artistry of Blue Heron to as wide an audience as possible and building on the ensemble’s successes by seeking out new opportunities. One such opportunity is coming up this summer: Blue Heron has been invited to perform two programs at Laus Polyphoniae in Antwerp, the world’s most important festival of Renaissance music, now in its thirtieth year. We are very honored to have been invited to join a fabulous international array of musicians and ensembles at this year’s edition – and even more so because Blue Heron is the only US ensemble to have been invited in 2023.

To tell you more about Laus Polyphoniae and what it would mean for us to perform there, here’s Blue Heron musician David McFerrin:

Learn More About Laus Polyphoniae

In addition to presenting two programs in Antwerp, we will also perform one of them as our season opener at First Church in October: The Musical Nightingale, a selection of late 16th-century French chansons published in Antwerp. We can’t wait to share this glorious music with you in a performance that will surely be enriched by the ensemble’s experiences in Antwerp.

While the opportunity to showcase the talent of Blue Heron at a European festival brings many potential rewards, it is not without cost – and those costs are substantial. We are committed to undertaking this tour – and a successful Spring Appeal will be a huge boost to our plans!

We have an ambitious fundraising goal of $20,000 to meet for this year’s Spring Appeal, and many ambitious plans for the future to go along with it! As always, our ability to bring these plans to fruition relies on the generosity and commitment of the many patrons and donors who make up the Blue Heron community. We hope you will join with us in realizing these ambitions by making a donation to our Appeal.

 

With grateful thanks,

Sarah Radcliffe-Marrs

Executive Director

DID YOU KNOW?

The overall cost of our tour to Antwerp is more than $40,000, including travel, per diems, and musicians’ fees. Our expenses will be covered by a combination of fees from the presenter, grants, and contributions to Blue Heron – and we need your help!

MUSICIAN fees and per diem costs are approximately $25,000

-This equals five friends contributing $5,000 each

MUSICIAN TRAVEL costs for the tour are approximately $15,000

-This equals six friends contributing $2,500 each

Thank you for making a generous donation in support of Blue Heron!

Click below to support Blue Heron with a donation by credit or debit card:

Donate

We welcome donations by check, made payable to “Blue Heron”, and mailed to:
Blue Heron
950 Watertown Street, Suite 8
West Newton, MA 02465

Contributions will be acknowledged in our concert program books at the following levels of support:

Archangel $10,000 and above
Angel $5,000 – $9,999
Benefactor $2,500 – $4,999
Guarantor $1,250 – $2,499
Patron $600 – $1,249
Sponsor $300 – $599
Supporter $125 – $299
Friend $50 – $124

Stocks and IRA distributions
Blue Heron does accept gifts of stock. Contact us for information on how to make a stock transfer. Did you know that distributions from IRAs made directly to Blue Heron may also receive favorable tax treatment? Ask your financial advisor.

Matching gifts
Did you know the value of your gift can be doubled? Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees. If your employer sponsors a matching program, please leverage your support: request a matching gift form from your employer, and send the completed and signed form in to Blue Heron with your donation. We will do the rest.

Underwriting a concert
Would you like to dedicate a concert to the memory of a special person in your life? Or, in honor of someone? You can do so by underwriting a major portion of the costs of a single concert on our Cambridge series. Learn more about this opportunity.

Questions?
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Blue Heron Renaissance Choir, Inc. is a a tax-exempt non-profit organization under IRS code section 501(c)(3). Tax ID: 04-3522239.