Conspiracy of Venus – Friday, November 4 at 8 pm
PROGRAM NOTES AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE
Conspiracy of Venus
vocal ensemble
Joyce Todd McBride, Director
Conspiracy of Venus is a San Francisco-based women’s vocal ensemble founded in 2007 that has gained a reputation for its varied and exciting repertoire, featuring arrangements by director/performer Joyce Todd McBride. Described as a “luxuriant mesh of plush and intricate harmony” and “intoxicating” (San Jose Mercury News), the group has charted unusual territory for a (mostly) a cappella ensemble, singing inventive and complex arrangements of songs by Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and many others, as well as original works by McBride. A 2016 album, Muse Ecology, recorded at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, along with tours to NYC in 2016 and 2018 and performances at almost all the Bay Area’s finest venues (and on the street!) are some of the highlights of the group’s history. For this performance, Conspiracy of Venus will be premiering new work created during the pandemic, including arrangements of music by PJ Harvey and Iris DeMent. Also on the program are works by Björk, Joni Mitchell, Roger Miller, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Chris Cornell, and Joyce Todd McBride. Conspiracy of Venus last performed in public at Old First Concerts in February 2020, and the singers are very happy to be returning to one of their favorite venues for their first concert since the pandemic began.