Capital City Concerts Presents | A Fall Feast of Music and Poetry (Montpelier)

Capital City Concerts' Capital City Concerts' second program of the season is a fall feast of music and poetry that contemplates nature, human relationships, and their interconnection.

The first half of the concert features CCC Co-Director Jillian Reed in a concerto for flute and strings by Vivaldi, followed by singer-songwriter Henry Jamison in collaboration with the Skylark Quartet and bassist Nick Browne. The program culminates with renowned soprano Mary Bonhag, the Skylark Quartet, and a chorus directed by Richard Riley performing Raine Songs (2013) by Burlington-based composer Don Jamison (Henry’s father). This set of 9 songs, an arrangement of poems by Kathleen Raine, forms a sequence in which consciousness moves from a sense of at-oneness with the world through an experience of struggle and estrangement to a re-engagement with the world in all its beautiful complexity.
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Antonio Vivaldi - Flute Concerto Op. 10 No. 4 in G major (1728)
Henry Jamison - Selected songs performed with string quintet
Don Jamison - Raine Songs (2013)

Henry Jamison is your favorite songwriter’s favorite songwriter. Called “one of America’s modern folk masters” by Atwood Magazine, he has spent the last decade touring and collaborating with a who’s-who of the contemporary indie scene, perhaps most notably Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief, who says "his songs sing me through mazes of my own sensuality and sadness, help me to feel less alone in the journey to understand myself more deeply, and to face gaping wounds.” Henry's latest LP, Big Flower Light Go Boom, is available on all major streaming services.

Mary Bonhag is an “extraordinary” singer (Classical Voice N. America) committed to the healing  powers of song. She is both a new-music specialist and a singer deeply devoted to sacred music across the  ages. Mary was featured on Resonant Bodies Festival, and has sung with 21st Century  Consort, and San Francisco Contemporary Players. Mary recently premiered and recorded a  new chamber opera by Susan Botti, River Spirits, an allegorical tale featuring Mary, Susan  Botti, and Lucy Shelton and a mixed ensemble of new and old instruments. From 2010-2025, Mary served as Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music which she co founded to bring exceptional chamber music to Vermont audiences in affordable and  innovative ways. She is passionate about how music has the power to heal individuals and  communities, and has been leading Taizé chant services both online and in person since 2020  and recorded Kathy Wonson Eddy’s Wellspring: Centering Chants for Uncertain Times in 2020. 

Skylark is an eclectic contemporary string ensemble based in northern Vermont. With decades of experience in the professional music community, Skylark’s sound and repertoire challenge the boundaries between the classical and folk traditions, creating innovative and original works for all audiences. Influenced by the Nordic, Celtic and American regions, Skylark’s music is melody-driven with unique energy, irresistible flair and undeniable beauty. Known for their vibrant quartet concerts, Skylark is also an avid collaborator. Recent concert projects have included performances with Guster, Henry Jamison, the Solaris vocal ensemble and an album recording with Jazz trumpeter Connor Young.

Dick Riley is Currently Artistic Director of the Onion River Chorus and was also Artistic Director of the Burlington Choral Society for 14 years. His last sold-out concert with the BCS was this past April and included works by Bach and the World Premiere of “Qohelet,” by Michael Schachter. From 1996–2005 he served on the performance faculty at Cornell University where, as director of the Sage Chapel Choir, he conducted over 200 works. As director of the Cornell Concert Series, he presented in concert Yo-Yo Ma, Murray Perahia, Lang Lang, Hilary Hahn and Joshua Bell, among many others. From 2005-2010 Riley served as Executive Director of the Brattleboro Music Center.

​Capital City Concerts, based in Montpelier, Vermont, presents unique chamber music concerts performed by some of the world's finest musicians from Vermont and beyond. Founded by Grammy‑nominated flutist Karen Kevra in 2000, CCC is now led by husband-and-wife musicians Jillian Reed, flute, and Tyler Emerson, piano. Learn more about Capital City Concerts and their other upcoming concerts on their website and read the full announcement about the transition in leadership here.