Margaret Barton Sibley, soprano
Carolyn Jean Smith, recorders

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About Serendipity

Serendipity is a mixed-instrument ensemble which performs a wide variety of musical forms. Founding members Carolyn Smith and Margaret Sibley met as students at the Longy School of Music, and worked together further in the Boston-based Scandinavian folk ensemble, Stämbandet. Thus, Serendipity's performers draw on a background both in folk styles and in early music to create an unusual and interesting musical offering. Their debut season focuses on the works of Thomas Morley, a selection of Italian frottole, and an excursion into the contemporary world of Vaughan Williams.

Biographies

Margaret Barton Sibley (soprano)

Margaret (Meg) grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Massachusetts for the first time in 1987 to attend Smith College. She studied music in Sweden, specializing in Swedish fiddle and folk song, during her junior year abroad and for the three years after Smith. In 1994, she moved to Somerville, Massachusetts to pursue a Master of Music degree in Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Longy School of Music. While at Longy she studied voice with Laurie Monahan and took a number of repertory courses in the Early Music Department. Now a graduate of Longy, Meg is still musically active in the Boston area. She currently studies voice with Richard Conrad. In addition to her ensemble work with Serendipity, she sings with the Scandinavian ensemble Stämbandet, with whom she recorded the CD Nordic Voices; appears regularly as the soprano section leader at Trinity church, Topsfield; and teaches voice lessons using a Dalcrozian approach. Meg has also recently rediscovered her fiddle and is working with another violinist to form what may become a Boston-area "spelmanslag" (group of Swedish fiddlers).

Carolyn Jean Smith (recorders)

Carolyn grew up in New York City and moved to Boston in 1983 to pursue a BS in Biology at MIT. After working in research for several years, she returned to school to pursue her lifelong love of recorder. She completed her Master of Music degree in Early Music at the Longy School of Music in 1999. She is a member of Boston area ensembles Stämbandet, with whom she has recorded a CD, and Cantata à Trois. Carolyn has studied with Ford Weisberg, Sonja Lindblad, and John Tyson, and has done masterclasses with Michael Lynn, Gerd Lunenberger, John Tyson, Paul Leenhouts, and Charles Lemouses.

Carolyn Jean Smith (cjsmith@mit.edu)