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Oregon Festival of American Music


Music must reflect the thoughts and aspirations of the people and the time," George Gershwin wrote in the early 1930s. "My people are American. My time is today." The works of Gershwin and of his lyricist brother Ira, were indeed of their people and of their time. But put on a recording today of "Embraceable You", "Summertime", "The Man I Love" or most any of the hundreds of songs they wrote together or apart, and you know that after all these years, those powerful melodies and wry lyrics are as fresh, inventive, and exuberantly and sassily playful as ever. And they are as well magnificently resilient in the face of just about any treatment, from new musical settings and vocal interpretations, to jazz improvisation and swing or blues arrangement. A Gershwin song transcends time as written, transforms beautifully, and still thrills the spirit and touches the heart. With OFAM 2024 Winter, Chuck Redd and company explore the work of George and Ira Gerswhin, including both their work together and apart, from their early years on Tin Pan Alley and Broadway to their years in Hollywood.

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Oregon Festival of American Music 2024

Schedule: Wednesday January 24, 2024 9:30 a.m - 11:30 a.m: Shall We Dance at Sheffer Recital Hall, The Shedd Institute Perhaps the Gershwin's greatest film effort, featuring the unparalleled team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in if not their…

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