Lorelei Ensemble performs LOOK UP featuring 'Beaufort Scales' by Christopher Cerrone ’14DMA

Praised for its “full-bodied and radiant sound” (The New York Times) and “stunning precision of harmony, intonation, and... spectacular virtuosity” (Gramophone Magazine), Lorelei Ensemble will perform its enriching, storied music for New Haven on Thursday, March 7. This Schwarzman Center event will be a co-production with the world-renowned Yale Glee Club and will feature “Beaufort Scales,” a work composed by Yale School of Music alum Christopher Cerrone '14DMA

Inspired by a poetic table of wind measurements from the 19th century, “Beaufort Scales” traces a trajectory from placidity (“Sea like a mirror / Smoke rises vertically”) to calamity. The original scale—12 steps, two hundred words—is the scaffolding for an exploration of changing weather phenomena in our modern era. Cerrone treats Beaufort’s original text as a moiré—he interweaves texts from authors throughout history—Melville, Teju Cole, Anne Carson—to create a kaleidoscopic view of weather, all headed towards an inexorable climax: “The air is filled with foam and spray / Devastation.” “Beaufort Scales” is a cautionary tale in the era of climate change.

Led by founder and artistic director Beth Willer, Lorelei Ensemble has established an inspiring mission, curating culturally relevant and artistically audacious programs that stretch and challenge the expectations of artists and audiences alike. Committed to education, Lorelei empowers young artists to be our next creative leaders through its work with rising performers and composers at children’s choirs, high schools, colleges, and universities across the country. Lorelei Ensemble has performed at celebrated venues across the country, including Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tanglewood Music Center, and Boston's Symphony Hall.