A Concert in the Dome:
POORE ASTRONOMERS
Saturday, June 28, 2025
7:00 pm
Welcome the summer with the voice and lute duo named Poore Astronomers, inside the unique accoustic space of our astronomical observation dome! The program includes surviving songs from Thomas Morley's First Book of Ayres, first published in 1600; songs which are full of pyrotechnic writing for the lute, requiring virtuosic playing seen nowhere else in the English Lute song repertoire. Drew Ivarson (tenor) and Daniel Keene (lute) will perform these pieces with a reconstructed accent from 16th century London and played on an authentic, gut-strung Renaissance lute.
The Elizabethan era, spanning the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), is often seen as the peak of the English Renaissance, a period known for its flourishing of arts, literature, and music. This concert will be presented in the unique acoustical splendor of the Custer Observatory dome. This intimate concert promises to be a most memorable experience. Not to be missed! Come hear the instrument that Renaissance humanists thought was perfectly able to evoke the harmony of the spheres.
Following the concert, when the skies are dark, Observatory staff will provide guided tours of the night sky (weather permitting) through our many telescopes on site, including the telescope in our historic observation dome. Immediately following the concert, for those interested in staying, Observatory staff will briefly talk about the history of Custer Institute and the apochromatic Zerochromat telescope installed inside the dome.
$40 Adult, $30 Custer Observatory Members. Attendance to this intimate performance will be limited - reserve your seats early! Note: Guests must be able to climb two steep flights of stairs to access the observatory dome where the concert is being held.
Drew Ivarson, tenor, performs regularly as a choral singer and soloist in the New York City area. He regularly sings with Polyhymnia, Stony Brook Baroque Players, New York Continuo Collective, and Sing We Enchanted. He also sings regularly at St Agnes RC Church in Midtown, Manhattan, and for the Jewish High Holy Days under Cantor Leon Berger at The Jewish Center of Kings Highway. Outside of his performing life, Drew maintains a small private studio teaching voice and piano, and chases his toddler all over Bayside, NY.
Daniel Keene, lutenist, performs on an array of plucked string instruments including 16th and 17th century lutes, vihuela, Baroque guitar, 19th century guitar, modern guitar, and extended electric guitars. He has concertized extensively as a soloist, consort player, continuo player, and in theater and Off-Broadway as a pit orchestra musician. In addition to the Poore Astronomers, Daniel performs regularly with Moka Pot Duo, Red Door Chamber Players, New Place Players, and Samadi-Keene Duo. He has also performed with Long Island Baroque Ensemble, Bacheler Consort, Golden Williams Duo, and New York Continuo Collective. Daniel is currently on the faculty at Nassau Community College.