Music at Saint Alban's
For more information or to order tickets, go to www.musicatstalbans.net.
BachFest VI: Concerti!
Sunday September 25, 2011 – 3:00 p.m.
The concert series opens with BachFest VI, a feast of baroque concertos. Though today we tend to think of a concerto as a piece for a solo instrument with orchestra, the concerto began as a small group of musicians playing in contrast with a larger group. Baroque descriptions of the concerto included words such as: “skirmishes,” “interruptions,” and “competitions.” This program—with music by Arcangelo Corelli, Heinrich Biber, Georg Muffat, Antonio Vivaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach—will include all of the above. Musical sparks are bound to fly, in the best way!
Duo Pleyel Andrew Willis ~ piano, Brent Wissick ~ cello
Sunday November 6, 2011 – 3:00 p.m.
Andrew Willis and Brent Wissick will play music for piano and cello by Chopin and Faure. Wissick’s cello will be strung with gut strings and Willis will play an original 1848 Pleyel piano, Chopin’s favorite type of instrument and one that Faure would often have used as well. The program’s central work will be Chopin’s Sonata for cello and piano, his last large work. Other pieces will include Chopin’s early Polonaise for cello and piano and a number of smaller works by Chopin and Faure, including the beautiful Elegy.
The Charlotte Children’s Choir
Carols and tunes for the season – a Davidson tradition
Sunday December 11, 2011 – 3:00 p.m.
This concert will feature 80 members of the Charlotte Children’s Choir with Artistic Director, Sandy R. Holland and Associate Director, Dr. Heather Potter. The choir will present beautiful holiday selections, both familiar carols and newly composed carols, accompanied by organ, piano and brass. Selection will include music by Vaughn Williams, John Rutter and arrangements by Canadian Brass for choir and audience. The Charlotte Children’s Choir, celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season this year, has enjoyed exceptional performance opportunities with professional organizations such as the Charlotte Symphony, Opera Carolina, Carolina Voices, and From the Top, NPR’s national radio program featuring America’s most talented young musicians.
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A Night at the Movies
Sunday February 5, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Experience the roaring twenties at its finest when Charlotte pianist Ethan Uslan returns to St Alban’s. Uslan will perform a program of syncopated music from the jazz age, followed by a live accompaniment to Buster Keaton’s 1924 silent classic, Sherlock, Jr. In this film, Keaton plays an outlandish detective whose adventures culminate in one of cinema’s most elaborate and unforgettable chase scenes.
Mark Sterbank Jazz Group: Jazz Verspers
Sunday March 11, 2012 – 3:00 p.m.
The Mark Sterbank Jazz Group, Spoleto favorites, unite the elements of inspiration and improvisation with swinging enthusiasm. From its inception, the group has exhilarated audiences by combining jazz’s rhythmic drive and creativity with the familiarity and meaning of old church songs. Fluent in all the reed instruments, saxophonist Mark Sterbank “plays with a breathy, dynamic feel that resonates on a lot of levels. There’s a sweetness to his sound that makes listening to him a joyful ride.” says Charleston Magazine. A favorite of audiences of all ages, the Mark Sterbank Jazz Group is sure to lift your spirits and set your toes to tapping.
Sitka Trio & Friends
Music in a Circle
Sunday, May 6, 2012 – 3:00 p.m.
The Sitka Trio (Shira Kammen – vielle, violin, Letitia Berlin – recorders, douçaine, Frances Blaker – recorders) will be joined by cellist Barbara Blaker Krumdieck and lute and guitar player William Simms. This larger Sitka ensemble makes it their mission to explore music from many centuries, from both the traditional (folk) and classical repertories. Medieval works stand side by side with Baroque compositions; Renaissance composers next to new voices from the 20th and 21st centuries, including original works by Blaker and Kammen.
Music at St. Alban’s eighth season begins in September with the first of Six great performances. St. Alban’s intimate setting and our fun meet-the-artist receptions erase the barriers between performers and audience, while our expanded outreach programs take guest artists to schools and community organizations, and bring special needs students and others who find it difficult to attend the regular concerts to St. Alban’s for open rehearsals and educational programs. This year’s “spoken program notes” will further enliven the concert experience.
We reaffirm our commitment to making great music available to young people this season, and continue to offer free admission to all children under age 12. Your support allows us to keep our admission prices low despite rising costs and curtailed arts funding.
Because subscription purchases and tax-deductable contributions account for more than half our operating budget, it is your support that enables us to continue to enrich the community through great music. We look forward to another exciting year of outstanding performances this season with Music at St. Alban’s. See you there!
Barbara Blaker Krumdieck
Artistic Director
