A Night Supporting Arts for All

By Guest Blogger, Jennifer Gunther

Jennifer is the Executive Director of VSA Arts of Delaware and an advocate for appropriate and fulfilling access to the Arts for all. Artwork by Ryan Griffin, age 5.

Once referred to by a funder as “a well-kept secret that everyone should know about”, VSA Delaware (VSADE) is a statewide organization that promotes expression through the Arts, with particular focus on opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The evening of Friday, June 4, delivered an experience in “our world of Art”, with an exceptional exhibit: the Celebration of Creativity (COC) 2010 Friends Reception at the Arts Center/Gallery at Delaware State University.

The exhibit is a collection of more than 65 works by artists with disabilities who have participated in VSADE Artist-in-Residency programs. For participants, the program provided the chance for their work to be professionally recognized. In addition, the reception provided a musical performance by the Delaware Young Soloist awardee, Jeffrey Wu. Jeffery, a 15-year-old student at the Brennan School in Newark, noted that creative and artistic accomplishments are possible when opportunity is provided. The COC 2010 exhibit will continue through Wednesday, June 30, at the Arts Center/Gallery; in September, it will travel to additional exhibition sites throughout the state.

Perhaps I am a bit partial, but I believe VSADE is one of those organizations that should never be a “well-kept secret”! We at VSADE hope that everyone will acknowledge the Arts as a powerful education tool for everyone, regardless of ability or disability!

See http://www.vsadelaware.org/.

P.S.: As I write this, I have just returned from the opening ceremonies of the VSA International Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC (www.vsarts.org). I was enthralled by the conceptual dance of artist Bill Shannon, the amazing vocals of Prudence Mabhena and the delightful talent of Patti LaBelle. It was a great night for the arts and disability.

New Voices on the Wilmington Loop

Since he was one of the first artists to join our readers when we started the blog last year, I hastened to Urban Avenue at 221 Market to see Life of a Hip Hop Photographer: Andre’ Wright. Wright was greeting all comers, young and old, who walked in to the clothing shop where he had his exhibit and portfolios. Wright is young and has already been working as a photographer for magazines like Corner Store, YRB, Format, XXL, Floss, Nubuzz Photo. He is an enterprising artist with an edgy technique who shows the harsh cityscape as well as its soft beauty. He has already photographed some famous hip-hop stars. When you meet young talent and energy like that which Andre’ exudes, you know you have met a man with a future in the Arts!

To see his online portfolio, visit http://www.coloroflifephotography.blogspot.com

Another exciting discovery was three potters who have created beautiful cool-color glazes for pots, bowls and mugs which were on display at the Delaware Center for Horticulture’s Trolley Bazaar. Jerry Jennings was not there as Linda West and Rachel Bevis manned their table, when I dropped by to ask them about their website and where they sold pottery. Surprised at my question, they explained that they were taking a pottery course at the Delaware Art Museum and didn’t sell pottery anywhere. They should be giving some courses! I quickly fetched them a brochure about Delaware by Hand and hope they join so we can all buy their beautiful work. Shall we call them Potters Three? Tre Ceramiche? Pictured below: Rachel Bevis and Linda West.

And last, but not least, I paid a visit to the most reluctant artist of them all. John Kurtz decided when he hit 65 that he could pull his paintings out from under sofas and behind bookshelves and display them. Yes, the well-established rug man (JD Kurtz/New Moon Rugs) is really an artist who has studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence and served as a combat artist in Viet Nam. I preferred his wilder, satirical works to those which reminded me of fauvists and Eric Hopper. He has neither titles nor prices nor does he want to display or sell any of it. How reluctant can you be?

I named one of Kurtz’ paintings which really captured my imagination "The Italian Family". A big father figure in red, a stiff uncle in a suit, the belittled father figure all rounded out by a Madonna figure in a gauzy gown. When I told Kurtz the title I had chosen, he said that people see what they want to see. We will if you let us, Mr. Kurtz!

Brandywine Baroque: Bold and Beautiful

I have been lucky enough to attend a good portion of the Brandywine Baroque’s annual Dumont Concerts two years in a row. These concerts are a weekend-long celebration of harpsichord music, played by noted international performers. The unbelievable musicianship is almost a shock to experience in this beautifully refurbished barn, nestled in Delaware’s pristine countryside. Flintwoods is the only place in the world with two restored harpsichords by Dutch builder, Ioannes Ruckers. There are a total of eight harpsichords in the collection; however, the Dumont instrument, after which the series is named, was being repaired.

Davitt Moroney returned again this year to perform at the opening concert, and spoke about “mean tone” tuning during the lecture. “Mean tone” tuning is unlike the well-tempered tuning to which our modern ears are accustomed. Instead of using the harmonics of octaves and fifths, this system relies on the relationships of perfect thirds. My friend Barbara, a concert pianist, and I struggled to find a way to describe his perfect execution of Baroque timing: “It isn’t the rubato, it isn’t the Luftpause; somehow, each note is placed exactly where it should be.”

Moroney and Brandywine Baroque Founder Karen Flint sat down together at the 1635 Rucker harpsichord to play Nicholas Carleton’s Praeludium and a Verse. Only one part of the manuscript survived, so Moroney created his portion, slipping in some interesting educational tidbits for his audience. Though I missed the Saturday lectures, I learned something about the tuning, and why the thirds are tuned according to the key of the piece. It was fascinating to hear a passage sound wonderful on one instrument and almost dementedly sour on another for which it wasn’t intended.

Flint did a lovely job with the Pieces in D minor by Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre. An expert on de La Guerre, Flint treated us to an interesting biographical background on this exceptional composer.

Arthur Haas performed a varied program, beginning with a Prélude by Louis Couperin, the granddaddy of harpsichord composition and scholarship. A portion of his program--pieces by four Italian composers--was performed on the Italian harpsichord, built by Domenicus Pisauriensis. Partite sopra La Monica by Girolamo Frescobaldi simply sparkled on this very “earthy” sounding instrument, which had been tuned with these works in mind. Each note and phrase Haas played was thoughtfully executed, and performed in a joyful, physical way.

Also in attendance was John Phillips, a master harpsichord builder and technician, who tuned the instruments before the concerts and during the breaks. The audience enjoyed watching the speed and precision of his craft during pauses in the program.

See www.brandywinebaroque.org.

Shakespeare Under the Stars

By Guest Blogger, James Kassees

James Kassees is a copy editor and proofreader for local marketing communications firm Aloysius Butler & Clark and has been involved in area theater for more than 30 years. A native Wilmingtonian, James lives in the city with his beautiful wife Barb.

Shakespeare’s As You Like It has everything you could want in a play — banishment, wrestling, romance and, of course, cross-dressing. I n the story, a mean brother wants to kill his uppity younger brother, who stood up to him. So the younger brother, Orlando, flees to the forest of Arden, where he runs into a young shepherd named Ganymede. Only Ganymede is really Rosalind in disguise; she was banished by the mean Duke Frederick, who also banished his older brother, the imaginatively named Duke Senior. Still with me? Also living in the forest are the court jester Touchstone, the melancholy Jaques, and various attendants, wenches and faithful old servants. All good fun to watch — and great fun to perform.

The Arden Shakespeare Gild is presenting As You Like It this summer. Arden, an artsy little hamlet north of Wilmington, was founded in 1900 by Philadelphia sculptor Frank Stephens and his architect friend Will Price. Stephens named the utopian village “Arden” after the forest that everyone flees to in As You Like It, and laid out the outdoor theater before he built his house. He even played Touchstone in an early production. So Arden’s tradition of performing Shakespeare’s works was established right from the start.

In 2000, to celebrate the village’s centennial, the Gild selected As You Like It and set the action in 1900. Now the Gild has decided to do the show every ten years. So here we are — a bunch of engineers and psychologists and realtors who enjoy the challenge and the fun of making Shakespeare’s words come to life. By bringing our different experiences to our characters and to the story, we try to make sure that each production — in fact, each performance — is unique.

Character and story are the main concerns of our director, Mary Catherine Kelley (aka MC). She makes us ask ourselves: What do I mean when I say my lines? What do I want? How do other characters react? And how does what I say and do fit into the overall story? MC’s job is to make sure every line and every scene add up to a cohesive story that draws the audience in and pulls them along to the end.

Come see As You Like It and find out how much fun Shakespeare can be in an intimate little theater nestled in the forest of Arden. Show dates are June 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25 and 26.

See www.ardenshakespearegild.org.

Renaissance: Support for Art and Knowledge

Drama, beauty, youth, wisdom, innovation and tradition: The Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) has all of this, and more. At the school’s fourth annual gala –the Renaissance – to benefit the scholarship program, DCAD created a lively evening of music, art, entertainment and delicious food. Donors, students, faculty, administrators and art aficionados of all kinds had the chance to mingle and listen to music provided by a lovely quartet.

DCAD is Delaware’s only professional art and design school. As an integral part of the newly revitalized community on lower Market Street, the college is committed to providing scholarships to its students. In order to award more than $800,000 in financial aid next year, the school relies heavily on its patrons and donors. Mr. and Mrs. Iréneé duP. May honorary chairs for the gala evening, have been integral in promoting and supporting the school and all the Arts in the Brandywine Valley.

I enjoyed chatting with the college president, Stuart Baron, about the school and its programs. A painter himself, Baron has overseen the DCAD since July, most recently having been in Baton Rouge, where he spearheaded an effort to get art supplies to students, children and displaced artists who were affected by Katrina’s devastation. His passion – for art itself and for making it available to everyone who wishes to enjoy and create – mirrors and furthers the school’s mission.

DCAD used the Italian Renaissance as a theme for its gala, since it was an era when artists were heavily supported and encouraged by their patrons. Some students wandered about the first floor in togas, preparing to bring to the life the “Last Supper” tableau staged on the back wall of the gallery. Overflowing were banquet-style tables of beautifully arranged loaves of bread, cheese and fruit. Both student and teacher works were for sale during the silent auction. Guests were greeted at the doorway by costumes from OperaDelaware’s Tosca, reminding us of the close relationship design, music and historical studies have with each other, as well as the vital Arts community that has been forged along Market Street in Wilmington.

The Creation: Music Born of the Bible

The more than 50 voices of the Delaware Valley Chorale joined together to sing Franz Joseph Haydn’s masterpiece The Creation. Accompanied by a fine orchestra, under the nimble baton of Conductor and Artistic Director, David Christopher, this all-volunteer chorus (selected by audition) graced the audience with a fabulous performance of this lively setting of one of the Bible’s most beloved and well-known passages.

Christopher’s comments about the work being a hybrid of classical and baroque styles gave me a framework for listening and digesting the work. He described the work as an amalgam of Handelian choral singing and late classical music. The architecture of the piece could be heard clearly: the orchestral part, with its resounding timpani and warm strings provided the foundation, the choral writing, layered, imitative and sometimes canonic gave the work depth. The recitatives and arias were the decoration on this structure revealing the composer’s artistically musical interpretation of the text. The duets and trios brought the structure closer to the heavens with their soaring, virtuosic joy.

Bass Alex Helsabeck sang Raphael with clarity and warm, focused sound. Each phrase was planned and executed with gentle phrasing where the text required it. Helsabeck’s voice rich and full and he handles ornamented passages with grace, singing each note perfectly in pitch. In spite of the soloist’s unfortunate placement behind the orchestra, his voice was easily heard.

Joyous was tenor Dana Wilson (as Uriel) in his singing and presentation. Like Helsabeck, he projected out over the orchestra from the back with his sweet ringing tenor. Wilson brings the athleticism of his career as baseball umpire to his performance.

Melanie Sarakatsannis, soprano, provided the “icing on the cake” in the performance as Gabriel. She sang some wonderfully ornate passages with panache and a clear bright tone, projecting confidently. Her voice was well balanced with the other soloists in the duets and trios.

The real stars were the choristers. Haydn’s multi-layered piece provides many challenges in its imitative and canonic sections. Christopher has helped them grow into a group with a lush, unified quality. Each one of the singers is dedicated, and sings from a place of joy. That is exactly what they brought to the audience, too.

Matt Casarino – A 21st Century Renaissance Man

Actor, musician, beer connoisseur, bon vivant; all describe Matt Casarino. When I first met him while working on Kiss me, Kate at the Wilmington Drama League, I noticed his incredible energy.

From the audience, watching him on stage in The Music Man, that energy was almost palpable as he livened up the fictional town and the actual stage with his buoyancy.

But Matt is also a very serious and hard-working guy. He has been writing plays since 1997. His play Midnight Train to George was first runner up at this year’s Delaware Theatre Association’s 68th One Act Play Festival held on March 27, 2010 at the Everett Theatre in Middletown.

When I saw the play this past weekend at the adjudication of original works for the Eastern States Theatre Association at the Chapel Street Players, I was struck by how well the play’s dialogue was crafted. It’s the story of two women passengers on a bus…simple enough. Raye, a waitress in a diner, is bubbly and tells Kim she feels sure she has met her before. Kim denies it, but Raye persists to the point of annoyance. The words, their delivery and the flow of the dialogue seems so natural, I felt as if I were on the bus, too. I have heard so many similar conversations. As the play progresses, the tight writing makes everything move to a climax and then resolution – and all in less that thirty minutes.

Many of Matt’s plays have been published, including one in the Smith & Kraus Best 10 Minute Play series. He has had works performed all over the country – including stops in Delaware. Midnight Train to George was produced at both the Rehoboth Theatre of Arts and at City Theater Company in its 2009 series Casarino Royale in which it highlighted five of Matt’s works.
Matt’s day job is at the Wilmington Drama League, where he pretty much does everything when he is not being a musician or a playwright or keeping up his knowledge of distinguished brews.

See www.playscripts.com.
See www.mattcasarino.com.
See www.reverbnation.com/mattcasarino.

CTC Ends Season on a High Note with Falsettos

Already out and about for Art on the Town, I figured I’d add more material to the tour. I’d heard the hipsters at City Theater Company had partnered with AIDS Delaware to bring William Finn’s Falsettos to the stage. Since it hadn’t been produced in this area in more than a decade, I was eager to see what CTC – always engaging in its repertoire and staging – would bring to this Tony Award-winning play.

This season has been an amazing one for the company, starting with the blockbuster Sweeney Todd in December; CTC, as always, provided plenty to enjoy!

The Opening Night house, in The Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios, was sold to capacity, with folks even standing at the back. The Black Box space is intimate without feeling “tight”, and there truly doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the house. You couldn’t have asked for a better opening evening – we hardly noticed the air conditioning was on the fritz, the show was so absorbing!

Falsettos is the story of the middle-aged, self-absorbed Marvin, who is struggling with his own issues and his relationships with his son, ex-wife, gay lover, psychiatrist (who marries his ex-wife) and the lesbian neighbors who live next door.

The entire cast is accomplished and well built by Producing Artistic Director Michael Gray. Gray has collected and directed an amazingly talented cast, creating a touching performance that focuses on the beauty and tragedy of all types of love and family, and he does so without sending an overly political or moral message. His interpretation of the characters is humorous, heartrending and real.

Marvin, passionately played by longtime CTC veteran Patrick O’Hara, is all-consuming in his needs. O’Hara’s voice booms and you feel his zeal and frustration as he sings “The Thrill of First Love”; then his tone lightens, coming through soothing and gentle in the touching “Father to Son”.

Jason is played expertly by Jameson May, a 12-year-old actor from Cab Calloway. May holds his own in this skillful cast and is especially enjoyable in “Jason’s Therapy” and “Miracle of Judaism”.

Mendel, Marvin’s psychiatrist and Trina’s new husband, finds hilarity and timidity in Jason Stockdale. Stockdale’s performance in “A Marriage Proposal” elicited laughter throughout the theater.

Jim Burns plays Whizzer, Marvin’s lover, with great strength in voice and manner. His performance of “The Games I Play” is compelling. His character is able to both captivate and infuriate. Jason loves him; Trina loathes him; Marvin seems torn between both.

Maggie Cogswell and Karen Murdock are solid and enjoyable as Cordelia and Charlotte, Marvin and Whizzer’s neighbors. They are funny and poignant, providing a wholeness to the story and further pushing home the notion that family bonds aren’t just born of blood relation.

The standout for me, though, was Trina, played riotously by Dana Michael. Michael’s neurotic, hilarious, needy, powerful performance brought the house down more than once, but her “I’m Breaking Down” was truly the pinnacle. I couldn’t imagine anyone playing this part better.

The performance enjoyed booming applause throughout, and ended with a standing ovation from the crowd. I heard one patron mention that he had seen the performance on Broadway and couldn’t wait to compare the two. CTC is up to that challenge.

Bottom line? You must see this show! We are so lucky that this musical has returned to the Delaware Arts scene. We’re even luckier that CTC is the group that has chosen to bring it. They offer one 2pm Sunday matinee on 5/16; all other shows are at 8:00pm.

See http://www.city-theater.org/

The Pirettes of Penzance: The Women Take Over

Every year since 1948, the Ardensingers have produced a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. This year, there was something a bit different -- a reverse gender Pirates of Penzance. I asked Bob Beavins, what inspired him to created this “farce of a farce”, making the Pirate King into a Queen, and Mabel into a young stud with a penchant for high notes.

He had heard women complain for years about not having enough fun things to do in the G&S roles. So, to Beavins it seemed, the natural thing was to switch the genders around: The pirates would be played by women, the maidens would become men of leisure and all the main roles would be reversed! With stage direction by Nancy Kraus and musical direction Helene Furlong, this fun, re-worked operetta came to life at the Gild Hall.

The audience loved the “gaggle of gorgeous gentlemen” taking the stage to sing, “Climbing over rocky mountain.” These strapping men -- some of them actors probably well into their sixties -- were dressed in proper Sunday attire with blue vests, and carrying tennis rackets, croquet mallets and cricket bats.

Petra DeLuca was dangerous and risqué as the Pirette Queen, threatening to slice the throats of those who wouldn’t obey, her athletic command of the stage ideal for the role. As Mervyn (the male “soubrette”), Ryan Goulden popped out high notes with a surprised, pained expression turning Mabel’s traditionally sweet Poor wand’ring one into a ‘how-high-can-he-go’ fest, with the male chorus backing him up.

Singing well, David Silberstein played Ralph (NOT “Rafe”), a confused Piratical Man of All Work. Amy Karash was lively as the Sergeant of Police, singing with panache. Marisa Robinson made a sweet Phoebe, and Meghan Mercier was fun as lieutenant Saphir. Not only did Martha Smylie, as Major-General Stanley spit out all her words in the beloved I am the very model of a modern Major-General (I’d like to meet the G&S alto or soprano who hasn’t tried to sing that song), but she sang some glorious lush high-notes in her other solo parts.

The Ardensingers will be at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Gettysburg this June, and producing The Gondoliers in 2011.

http://www.ardensingers.com/

Tosca a Treat by OperaDelaware

Opera Delaware’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca is the best I have seen from the organization since OD’s1960s interpretation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

Gustavo López-Manzitti’s passionate portrayal of Mario Cavaradossi is intense – his daredevil high tenor notes and focused acting made for a spellbinding character. His Recondita armonia, extolling the mysteries of Floria Tosca and why he finds her beautiful was almost as gripping as his hauntingly sad E lucevan le stelle - accompanied cautiously by clarinetist Marianne Gythfeldt.

Kary Shay Thomson’s Floria Tosca was brilliantly sung. The glockenspiel and flute were perfectly balanced with her voice in E la luna piena – and she brought the house down with her heart wrenching rendition of Vissi d’arte. During the wild applause, both Youngblood and Thomson stayed so firmly in character that I never lost the feeling of being immersed in the story.

The staging by Marc Astafan is inventively illustrative. He places Scarpia on one side, while to his left the choir and cardinal sing the Te Deum to celebrate Napoleon’s defeat. But Scarpia is singing about how he wants to seduce Tosca and cries, “Tosca, mi fai dimenticare Dio” (Tosca you make me forget God) as he demoniacally rips apart a blood red rose given by Tosca as an offering to the church.

Conductor John Baril brings out the contrasting sounds of the Puccini score -- like the bell sounds representing the church as well as tolling the warning of the devious Scarpia. Although the orchestra did not have as many stands as Puccini would have demanded, they produce a great sound. The next performances are on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at 8 p.m.

See www.operade.org.

Mastersingers at First and Central Presbyterian Church

On Saturday, May 1, at 7:30, David Schelat and his Mastersingers will present I do wander everywhere: songs from England and France. They let me hear Thursday’s rehearsal.

The delicate appogiaturas played by organist Marvin Mills introduce a stately Festival Te Deum by Benjamin Britten. The imitative entrances build to a piu mosso ed energico, and the rhythms change wildly. Then a delicate soprano voice rises over a very light organ registration.

The Trois Chansons by Maurice Ravel introduce some jaunty wickedness – my favorite being the rondelay warning of the dangers of the Ormond Woods. The Mastersingers are able to communicate the ironies of Ravel’s lyrics with perfect understatement.

The Choral Hymns from the Rig-Veda by Gustav Holst are a rare treat. Holst wrote these between 1907 and 1918 – translating the Sanskrit himself. Anne Sullivan’s pristine harp playing is brilliantly matched to the vocal sound of this set for women’s voices.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Three Shakespeare Songs show off the fine bass voices and his harmonies are so complex – from the bells ringing in resonant chords with major and minor seconds to the harmonic progression sustaining the lyrics ‘sea change’, the Mastersingers prove their mettle.

O quam amabilis es by Pierre Villette begins with traditional polyphony then moves to jazz harmonies and ending on an unresolved major seventh. Two motets by Marcel Duruflé are more staid and contemplative, a quiet moment of delicate sound.

The concert ends with Benjamin Britten Rejoice in the Lamb, Opus 30. This piece reminds me so much of Britten’s Ceremony of Carols because of the nonsensical lyrics, wildly dancing rhythms and exciting accompaniment.

David Schelat has selected a wonderful program of pieces that are rarely heard. Don’t miss this concert.

See http://www.fandc.org/.

The Seasons: Beautiful and Baroque!

Brandywine Baroque always features some of the world’s top musicians. At their recent Four Seasons concert, the audience was graced with some of the finest fiddling and singing one can hear. A fellow singer friend commented several times how amazing it was to be in a beautifully renovated barn in the countryside enjoying a fabulous sold out concert. Following the concert were guided walks in the fragrant woods surrounding The Barn at Flintwoods.

The afternoon opened with George Frideric Handel’s cantata: Notte placida e cheta, sung by the lovely Laura Heimes. The piece explored the wide palette of love’s emotions through its poetry and sometimes flowery, ornamented phrases. Heimes’ pure easy tone and expressive phrasing brought this little of a piece to life. Her physical and emotional interaction with the instrumentalists was endearing and added an organic wholeness to the effect on stage.

On the 17^th Century Spanish harpsichord was the group’s artistic director, Karen Flint. The instrument was discovered in a Salamancan convent, where bored nuns decorated the once plain pine instrument with a faux marble design. Flint has extensive knowledge and expertise in the Baroque repertoire, as she possesses an expansive solo repertoire and accompanies most of the works, which require continuo. Eileen Grycky handled Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for flute, Op. 10, No. 6, well, with its dauntingly challenging passages. She was beautifully supported by the ensemble.

Violinist Martin Davids is a master of the Baroque Style. In Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin, each phrase was planned out carefully, each note executed precisely, and with perfect intonation. His love for the music poured out his instrument, and he led his ensemble gently and clearly.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of the best-loved and well-known classical concertos of all times. This time, I heard it in a way that gave me new insight. Soloist Cynthia Freivogel stunned the audience with her exciting tempos, use of rubato and light-hearted humor. We giggled at her “drunken” playing in the ubriachi dormienti (L’autunno, Adagio) as she kept nodding off. The ensemble’s earthy tone quality is so appropriate for Vivaldi’s love song to nature, for which he wrote both the poetry and music.

Be sure to get your tickets early for Brandywine Baroque’s upcoming Dumont Concerts May 28-30. The programs, a festival celebration of harpsichord music and performance, will feature works by Jacquet de La Giuerre, François Couperin, William Byrd, Frescobali and more. Davitt Moroney, Arthur Haas, Edward Parmentier and Karen Flint will perform.

See www.brandywinebaroque.org

Mélomanie at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church

By Chuck Holdeman, Guest Blogger

Chuck is a composer, a bassoonist, and a faculty member of the Music School of Delaware. He lives in Wilmington with a studio in Philadelphia. His website is www.chuckholdeman.com

Sunday afternoon, April 18, witnessed a beautiful concert by Wilmington-based Mélomanie, the ensemble devoted to Baroque period instruments and to new music by regional composers. On this occasion, the group was presented by Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church, across the road from Winterthur, and the Hadley Memorial Fund, which provided free admission.

The illness of violinist Fran Berge necessitated a program change with the welcome addition of substitute fiddler, Christof Richter of Philadelphia. The ensemble drew from its repertoire, saving ‘til next season Mark Rimple’s Partita 622, which will also be included in the group’s recording project of five new works, all commissioned by Mélomanie.

J. P. Rameau’s first Pièce de Clavecin en Concert opened the program, with music written for the court of the King Louis, the one right before the French revolution. The music is mannered, precious, and charming, also with daring juxtapositions of texture and mood, quite unlike Rameau’s contemporaries. Featuring harpsichordist Tracy Richardson, the grouping was completed by flute, violin, and Donna Fournier’s viola da gamba.

Two solo pieces followed: Mark Hagerty’s Sea Level for solo flute, played by Kim Reighley on the luscious-sounding alto flute, and Bach’s G-major suite for ‘cello, performed with infectious musicality and individuality by Doug McNames. Hagerty’s work displays arresting harmony despite being for an instrument that can only play one note at a time, also referring indirectly to the evocative poetry of its historical antecedent, Syrinx by Debussy.

As Hagerty had, composer Ingrid Arauco introduced her piece, Florescence (blooming) for flute and harpsichord. She expressed gratitude for the multiple performances given by these players, such that each time the sounds merge, clarify, and increasingly express Arauco’s intentions. In three short movements, Florescence shows how an essentially atonal language can be gentle, colorful, and intimate.

The program concluded with Telemann’s Paris Quartet in e minor, played by all five musicians, more mannered music in the French style, though composed by one of the principal masters of the German Baroque. One movement was called “Distrait” (inattentive) in which the witty Telemann created disorienting syncopations. Despite the work’s lightness, he ends with a weighty and sophisticated chaconne.

It was gratifying to see a large and appreciative crowd, and a slightly different one from Mélomanie’s downtown series. May the sounds of this excellent ensemble find even more satisfied ears, in Delaware and beyond!

Coming up: harpsichordist Tracy Richardson and gambist Donna Fournier will present a program for the First & Central Noontime Concert series, Thursday, April 22, at 12:30 PM, 11^th and Market Streets in Wilmington. I am especially pleased that their program will include the premiere of my composition, Six Preludes for solo harpsichord.

See www.melomanie.org

Songs from Afar go Straight to the Heart

The evening began with a beautifully sung prayer led by Cantor Mark Stanton, director of music at Beth Emeth. Last year, a large portion of the building was renovated, and we were seated in the new sanctuary, surrounded by mosaic and stained-glass windows.

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Gerard Edery found himself in Great Neck, New York, by way of Paris. After singing over thirty leading operatic roles, Edery revisited the songs that resonated so deeply with him. He told me he had left his guitar untouched for many years. His guitar playing is fluid, with a stunning, versatile technique and clear tone. His ability to play a complicated passage while singing is notable.

His band, while staying within the structures of the songs, improvised skillfully. Performing with him were two fabulous musicians, Meg Okura (violin and erhu) and Sean Kupisz on a six-stringed bass. Edery promised to give the audience a trip around the world -- and he delivered -- with songs from Morocco, Ireland, France, Turkey, Spain, and other far-away places.

The Sephardic tradition is one that traveled to countries now known as Turkey, Morocco, Greece, and the Balkans as the Jews were cast out of Spain and Portugal in the 15^th Century. Passed down over the years, these songs have taken on some of the qualities of their “final” destinations, but have held firmly to their origins.

Retaining themes of chivalry and poetic love from the Middle Ages, the music speaks loudly and clearly. Each song is like a precious time capsule. In the Moroccan song, Ojos Asesinos, he sings of lost love, “assassin eyes”, that he yearns to see again though friends tell him his wish is crazy. In Margot Labourez Les Vignes (Jacques Arcadelt, Flemmish, 16^th Century), Margot curses men who call her ugly. Tres Hermanicas tells of a young woman, pregnant out of wedlock, who is banished by her father to a stone castle with no windows or doors. Though some selections were not Sephardic, they were rich with history and emotion.

See http://www.sefaradrecords.com

Subs and heros

When you go to the Delaware Symphony, they do not list the extra musicians they hire for a performance. Last Saturday, I was delighted to see pianist Hiroko Yamazaki ready to play for the Kurt Weill Little Threepenny Music (Suite from the Threepenny Opera) – in other words, the jazzy suite which includes songs like Mac the Knife.

Most of the instruments had been cleared from the stage and Ms. Yamazaki ripped off ragtime/honkytonk sounds that blended seamlessly with the trombone, banjo, guitar and accordion. For a moment, it seemed we were in pre-war Berlin with Sally Bowles in a Kneipe enjoying a St. Pauli Girl in dim light.

But in the next piece, the pianist turned into an expert vibrationist, playing single sustained notes and holding the pedal so the plaintive string sounds in the Symphony of sorrowful songs by Henrik Mikolaj Gorecki could seek their reflected harmonics from the soundboard of the piano – a mysteriously rousing effect.

Whernever Ms. Yamazaki is playing – be it accompanying Twinkle twinkle, little star in a beginner’s Suzuki instrumental recital or zipping into a Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, she puts her heart into it.

She is a hero, not just a sub.

Music and gardens

This Thursday, April 22, the Brandywine Baroque ensemble will play in the Copeland Lecture Hall at Winterthur Gardens. The weather should be good for a visit to the gardens and you can finish out the beautiful afternoon by enjoying the amazing sounds of Delaware’s premiere Baroque ensemble. Karen Flint, harpsichord, Doug McNames, cello, Eileen Grycky, flute, Cynthia Freivogel and Martin Davids, violin, and Laura Heimes, soprano can easily take you back to the eighteenth century as you imagine the life at a large estate like this stately gem.

Could this be a revival of the partnership between music and public gardens? How wonderful it is to visit Lewes and hear an outdoor concert by the Delaware Symphony in July – with birds swooping overhead, two-year-olds frolicking and dancing to patriotic marches and marveling at the fireworks that end the evening. Or to enjoy the weekly lunchtime concerts hosted each May through July on the waterfront by the Riverfront Development Corporation of Wilmington.

Longwood has had a long history of musical performances – they have even had the Philadelphia Orchestra twice and they host a Wine and Jazz Fest in the summer and have myriad concerts throughout the year.

Longtime Delaware Symphony Orchestra members recall many chamber concerts in the lecture hall at Winterthur – some followed by formal teas in the cafeteria. Pam Nelson, violist, and Chuck Holdeman, bassoonist told me the symphony used to play at the Arts and Crafts Festivals, at Rockwood, and at the County Pride Festival in Rockford Park. There had been a long-standing date for the DSO to end the summer with a rousing performance of the 1812 Overture complete with cannons shot from the grounds of Winterthur. What fun and what a wonderful opportunity to introduce young people to the joys of classical music!

Long may the union of classical music and gardens last! For details on Brandywine Baroque’s upcoming performance, visit Winterthur’s website or call 800.448.3883.

See www.winterthur.org

See http://www.brandywinebaroque.org

Passionate Poets

The National Poetry Month Celebration at the Delaware Art Museum was nothing short of passionate. With readings by four 2010 poetry fellows, including Delaware’s Poet Laureate, a recitation by the 2010 Poetry Out Loud Winner and an exciting open mic, the event was a wonderful opportunity for poets and audience alike. Gail O’Donnell, Director of External Affairs and Special Events (and poet!) reminded us of the Pre-Raphaelites love of poetry.

JoAnn Balingit, Poet Laureate of Delaware, led the event, featuring her poem, C.O.L.B.E.R.T., a witty piece inspired by Colbert’s Space Treadmill. Her weekly column in the News Journal touches on many aspects of poetry, from its healing powers to its childlike qualities.

Alex Cummiskey, winner of the 2010 Poetry Out Loud recited works by Sandburg, Swift and Noyes. His use of dynamics, tempo and facial expression brought life to the words. I rarely wish for young people to pursue an acting career, but I found myself hoping this teen will find his way into a Shakespeare or Oscar Wilde play, so blatant is his talent.

L.J. Sysko’s clever, moving words included Sculpture Garden, a poem inspired by the museum’s very own Crying Giant, by Tom Otterness. Her piece, Ode to Boxtox, is riotously funny: she writes, “Grant me medically assisted paralysis.” Memories from a childhood growing up in Ethiopia and Kenya are a poet’s palate for Abby Millager. Her vision of the wild landscape serves as her muse for Rainless Season, I covet.

Liz Dolan, read her colorful prose, including The New Yorker Glamorizes the Subway and the Holy Grail. Holy Grail gives us a glimpse into her daily experience at White Castle, waiting forever for her first coffee of the day. A retired schoolteacher, Dolan only began writing 7 years ago. She noted, “It’s never too late to start all over again.”

Notable during the open mic were Helen Griffith and Jasmine Lopez. Griffith read a wildly funny poem born from a falling feather. She debated its origins, its destination and her potential arrest resulting from stealing it off the ground. Lopez, a 16-year-old Cab Calloway student, brought down the house with her riveting performance. Hers were words of sorrow and survival, an unabashed glimpse into life with an abusive stepfather.

To paraphrase Balingit: Poetry manages to collect and form language that tells us something about ourselves. It is possible to dislike it and like it at the same time. I loved this fun afternoon and hope for many more such events.

See: http://www.delart.org/prog_events/museum_calendar.html.

Snowfall Affords Us Sweet Notes in the Spring

We were lucky Westminster Presbyterian Church held its “Greatest Hits” concert a second time so that Wilmingtonians trapped indoors by the winter’s crippling snowfall could get another chance to hear some fabulous singing.

The excellent acoustics of the church caressed the lovely tones of these very experienced singers. The program was a mix of favorite Broadway songs, operatic areas and ensembles. On the organ and piano, Music Director Paul Fleckenstein was flawless accompanying the singers in this repertoire, quite different from standard “church music”. The large choir was dynamic and enthusiastic, enjoying every moment on and off the stage. I sat next to a chorister who whispered excitedly to me of the soloists, “We get to sing with them EVERY Sunday!”

Justin Gonzalzez’s Italianate tenor served La Donna è Mobile (Rigoletto) perfectly. The crowd -- many of them congregants and choristers -- loved his showmanship and bravado. With his full, clear baritone, Brian Carter did an excellent job with his rendition of Si può from I Pagliacci. Mezzo-soprano Ruth Bailis handled Tchaikovsky’s Podrugi milyye from Pique Dame beautifully, and was touching in Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel. Soprano Barbara Winchester as the Sandman made an adorable, pixie-like appearance in the scene and sang her part sweetly.

As always, I was bowled over by Diana Milburn. Her pianissimos are so elegant, her presentation so moving. Hers is a sound that harkens to a bygone era of true Bel Canto singing. In Donde Lieta Usci from Puccini’s La Bohème, her deep understanding of Mimi’s character was evident, and her command of the style was impeccable.

Wilmington needs more opera! Kudos to the singers, directors and organizations who make it happen. Check out Westminster’s website for more concert information.

See www.wpc.org.

Art & Community at the April Loop

I always find adventure on the Art Loop, not only in art, but also in community---this one was no different. To start the night, hubby and I enjoyed drinks at the newest Market Street hotspot, Chelsea Tavern. Both bar and tables were filled, a festive atmosphere echoing the space. We ran into Gary Cardi, Partner at Public House, enjoying mussels with friends at the bar and DSO Directory of Community Engagement, Mark Mobley who chatted about the DSO’s new CD (#14 on the classical charts) and the upcoming “Life, Death & Mack the Knife” performance on April 16 & 17.

Post drinks, we headed to Red Mohawk Gallery, where it seemed the entire Art Loop had congregated. Twenty-somethings alongside retirees, veteran artists and students enlivened the room, fueled by the mixed-media pop art works of Brad Turner (and perhaps red wine and Pabst Blue Ribbon). His three-eyed “Casper” and “Dutch Boy” pieces are jocular and graffiti-like. I admired a rustic-looking acrylic on board that advised you to “Question Everything”. People sightings: Delaware Art Museum Development Director Susan Zellner and a pal, and newlyweds artist Nicole Royer and photographer/musician Christian Kaye. Before we left, we said hello to Red Mohawk himself, Geoff Blake, who is looking forward to participating in the Fringe Wilmington Festival this fall.

Just around the corner, Poppycock Tattoo was buzzing---literally. As we walked in, a young guy relaxed in the chair, getting “inked” with an audience watching. The artwork---contorted, mask-like acrylics of Jeff Madonna and quirky, folk art-inspired pen and inks of Joe Breitenbach---jumped from the walls like giant tattoo samples. My hubby particularly liked Maddona’s piece “Gold Mask”; I enjoyed Breitenbach’s PA-Dutch-meets-New-Age-mystic, color-packed work.

Throughout the night, Loopers were treated to members of Delaware Valley Chorale, adorned in apple wreath headdresses and witty signs, roaming in and out of galleries promoting their upcoming concert, Haydn’s The Creation, on May 16. As we walked back to our car, I was thrilled to see the streets still alive with people, most I am sure headed to the re:FRESH afterparty at the DCCA. Hooray for spring activity in downtown Wilmo!

See http://www.redmohawk.com/.
See http://www.poppycocktattoo.com/.
See http://www.delawarevalleychorale.org/.

“Treasures of World Song” for a Treasure of an Organ

On Saturday, April 17, at 7:30 pm singer, composer, guitarist and saz player Gerard Edery brings his ensemble to Congregation Beth Emeth in Wilmington for an evening of Sephardic Music. Originally from Casablanca, Morocco, the New York-based musician is a master and scholar of Judeo-Spanish songs. Rich in musical influence, the songs are born of an oral tradition from the Balkans, North Africa and Greece.

A trained operatic bass baritone, Edery sings with a rich, warm tone. He accompanies himself with the guitar and the saz---a wonderful lute-like Turkish instrument. Edery’s band also includes Meg Okura on violin and erhu and Sean Kupisz on bass. In addition to Judeo-Spanish music, the trio will perform folk and popular songs from France, Ireland and South America. The concert is a benefit for Beth Emeth’s new organ.

For tickets and information: 302-764-2393 or www.bethemethde.org.

To hear Edery’s music: http://www.sefaradrecords.com/.