Course Description

Instructor: Judith Costello

An annual ceremony dating back to the twelfth century and always held in late July, ROYAL SWAN-UPPING is one of Britain’s most charming and curious traditions — part avian census, part welfare check, and part ancient ritual.

Help celebrate these magnificent creatures by joining us for a two-part class featuring a wide variety of works about swans — including a 1612 English madrigal, excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet music, and a haunting song by a contemporary Irish composer.

Bio: Judith Mann Costello is a native of Oak Park, Illinois, where she divided her first 20 years between the family bookstore founded by her grandfather and the Frank Lloyd Wright home where she was raised.  She has lived in NYC, Florida, and Michigan, and, since 1984, in the Atlanta area. Educated at Northwestern University and Hunter College, she holds a degree in Music Journalism from the University of South Florida.  Following a long career as a classical music host for NPR stations WUSF and WFBE, Judith spent 25 years as academic and political officer for the Canadian Consulate General in Atlanta, retiring in 2013.