Delaware Musicians in the UK

The jazzy vibes of French bassoonist Ludovic Tissus gave life to the world premier of Chuck Holdeman’s composition Quintetto for bassoon and string quartet at the International Double Reed Society in Birmingham, England on July 23.

Tissus, bassoonist for the Paris Opera, plays the French system bassoon, which Holdeman had in mind when he wrote the piece.

Quintetto starts with a largo which dissolves into a fast-moving leitmotiv. The second movement is a haunting, lyrical chanson. The third movement is a theme and variations with a wild fugal coda.

The exchange of voices in the coda is quite tricky, but Tissus and the very youthful Boult Quartet dove in with gusto.

Holdeman has a new commission which will premiere at the Gold Ballroom of the Hotel DuPont as part of the Delaware Symphony chamber music series on October 27.

Two other pieces by composers from our region played at the International Double Reed Society convention were Andrea Clearfield’s Three Songs for oboe and double bass after poems by Pablo Neruda and Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Oboe.

www.chuckholdeman.com

www.idrs2009.org

Local artists in Middletown

Brilliant colors handled with sure-handed verve splash through the Local Artists show at Middletown's Gilbert W. Perry Jr. Center for the Arts. This third annual exhibit is a refreshing summer stop, with paintings both pleasing and accomplished.

The show hangs to Aug. 1. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Ricardo Colon's fauvist Latin pink street scene in the gallery window sets the tone, picked up by Tracy Landmann's bold cafe vignettes and Joyce R. Hoover's kaleidoscopic still lifes. Judy Robb renders little landscapes in big dashes of unblended bright white and green. All of them temper their pure colors by using black outlines for a contemporary graphic effect.

Samantha Norwood's quieter pointillist woodland in acrylic is also deft. And Abigail McBride's luminously lavender view of a river bank is a impressionist charmer.

For contrast, Pamela Skwish deconstructed a flower in a shadow box paper collage. The dominant black in Nancy Williams Woodword's two abstracts looks organic and fluid.

The gallery is at 51 W. Main St., Middletown. Young students' work is in the hall.

The Delaware Shakespeare Festival's Twelfth Night

Shakespeare Al Fresco

 

~ By Jessica Graae

 

Thanks to Mother Nature’s bountiful rain, we caught the Delaware Shakespeare Festival’s opening of Twelfth Night on Saturday in Wilmington’s beautiful Rockwood Park.  The company, in its seventh year, continues a much-loved tradition for Delawareans who might not otherwise get much Shakespeare or theater in the summer.  The Bard’s hysterical farce entertained young and old.

 

We got to the park early to get the perfect spot for our blanket in front of the Rockwood Mansion, which serves as the stage for this enthusiastic young company.  Its Tudor-style crossbeams and slightly crumbling façade transport the actors and audience to a by-gone era.  Scenic designer Simon Harding uses the various levels and doorways of the house to maximum effect, with minimal fuss.  The sunlight, which lights the set for the first hour of the performance, gives way to stage lighting creeping in, almost unnoticed.

 

Orsino’s famous opening lines “If music be the food of love, play on” are underscored by the sultry sounds of a saxophone playing.  The music and designer Regina Rizzo’s clever costumes of linen and tweed transport us to the 1930s or 1940s.  Rizzo even creates an updated version of the cross-gartered leg ensemble for Malvolio, whose role was performed hilariously by Brian McCann.

 

Ably directed by Karen DiLossi, the entire cast projected their words with clarity.   The actors moved about freely, without being constrained by the location of the microphones.  I was concerned the latecomers sitting further back might miss nuances of the performance, but it was clear from the hearty laughter and applause, nothing was missed. 

 

For more information about the performances, which run through August 1, go to www.delshakes.org or call 302.764.0113.

Brandywine Guitar Quartet at Pell Gardens

Chris Braddock, Dan Graper, Mark Unruh and Mark Oppenheimer are the versatile members of the guitar quartet they founded in the summer of 2008.

Speaking to Chris about the group means hearing the incredible energy and enthusiasm he has for the music. He, like the other three, is a composer (see blog on SOWETO Festival for a review of his composition for harpsichord and mandolin for Melomanie.)

For the August 9 concert at the Pell Gardens along the canal in Chesapeake City, Chris has transposed the William Zinn arrangement of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart, and Dan Graper has arranged some Leroy Anderson string quartet arrangements of Blue Tango, Jazz Pizzicato, Belle of the Ball.

They will even do a Beethoven trio arrangement as well as the first movement of the third Brandenburg Concerto – so variety will not be lacking.

Come enjoy the gardens under the stars with this free concert.

To listen to the quartet: www.myspace.com/brandywineguitarquartet.

To hear Dan Graper’s music: www.myspace.com/dangraper.

To hear Chris Braddock’s music: http://www.braddockmusic.com/.

ARTY at the Party!

Our very own arts party-hopper, ARTY, was out on the town this week. This time, Arty hit the annual Mélomanie picnic on July 18 at the home of co-Artistic Director and harpsichordist Tracy Richardson. The ensemble hosts the event each year to celebrate its past season, thank colleagues and collaborators, and look to the coming year. Arty was thrilled to see that the intimate get-together was a veritable “who’s who” of regional performers! Arty chatted up violinist Sylvia Ahramjian and Mélomanie co-Artistic Director and flutist Kim Reighley, who were both delighted to be holding repertory classes this year at West Chester University.

Composer Chuck Holdeman was excited about the premiere of his Quintetto, set for the International Double Reed Society convention in England on July 23.

Guitarist and composer Chris Braddock---there with his beautiful wife, soprano Jeanmarie Braddock, and daughter Ellie---talked enthusiastically about his Brandywine Guitar Quartet’s upcoming concert on August 9 in Chesapeake City.

Also in attendance was composer Ingrid Arauco, who was quite pleased with the recent premiere of her Divertimento at the Delaware Chamber Music Festival. Percussionist Gerardo Razumney was lively, as he explained to guests the difference between Argentinian tango and the American ballroom tango.

A great gathering of artists on a beautiful summer day! Look for information on Mélomanie's 2009-2010 season coming soon! Thanks for the invite, Mélomanie!

Got a party you'd like ARTY to attend? Send us an email at info@artsinmedia.com.

Free Summertime Arts Options

When you're out and about this summer (maybe at the beach?) and want interesting, affordable ways to experience family-friendly and fun "art stuff", why not check out the below?

Summer Film Reviews presented by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society
July 20 through August 17
Cape Wine & Spirits, 34164 Citizen Drive, Lewes
302-644-9463
The free public film screenings are used to assist selection process for Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (November 2009). Reviewers are asked to complete a rating form and join in post-film discussion.
See http://www.rehobothfilm.com/.

Rehoboth Summer Children's Theatre presents "Anansi the Trickster"
Monday, July 20, 2:00pm
Millsboro Public Library, 217 W. State Street, Millsboro
302-934-8743
Based on African folklore, Anansi, the clever spider, must accomplish four tasks before Nyame, the Sky God will return all the stories he has taken from the earth. Library performances are free & open to the public. Some locations do require pre-registration, so check the website for future performances.
See http://www.rehobothchildrenstheatre.org/.

Delaware Humanities Forum & City Theater Company Books & Authors Series
Friday, August 14, 7:00pm
Presto!, Washington Street, Wilmington
This program features the book "The Language of Good-Bye" by Maribeth Fischer accompanied by dramatic readings from CTC actors James Kassees, Mary Catherine Kelley and Georgiana Staley. Free admission.
See http://www.dhf.org/ or http://www.city-theater.org/.

Book & Authors Series Continues to Wow Audiences

- A special combined review by Jessica Graae & Margaret Darby

Jessica:
The Delaware Humanities Forum couldn't possibly have anticipated such an overwhelming turnout at their second Books & Authors event for Christopher Castellani's The Saint of Lost Things on July 15. There was almost nowhere to sit as admirers, friends and family packed the room at the Union City Grill. Castellani's books, like the author himself, have tremendous appeal. His humor, warmth and compassion are evident in person as well as on the pages.

In The Saint of Lost Things, he paints a portrait of Wilmington's Little Italy during its heyday in the 1950s. With loving care, he creates interesting, vivid characters---each one with his own, often heartbreaking, story. Three talented young actors from project partner City Theater Company---Rachel Samples (Maddalena), Amanda Riveras-Parker (Carolina) and Matt Payne (Vito)---set the scene for us in the small, make-believe town of Santa Cecilia in the Lazio region of Italy.

Rita Truschel artfully carved a portion of dialogue from Castellani's first book, A Kiss from Maddelena. During this scene, we gained a glimpse into Maddelena's troubled relationship with her sister Carolina, and her lost love, Vito. Castellani reminded us, as he read from The Saint of Lost Things, that while he is writing of everyone's experience, he is also writing of no one's experience. We may be able to relate to his version of Little Italy, or small town life in Italy, but we all have our own perceptions and experiences. Castellani's psychological portrait of the immigrant Antonio, who thinks: 'Surrender even a little bit to your wife, he knows, and her voice gets louder and louder until it drowns yours out completely,' echoed my own experience with a Sicilian whose need for power and control dominated every aspect of his life and marriage.

Not only is Castellani a gifted observer and writer, he is very clearly a born mentor. In answering questions about his craft, he mentions, "the good news is: we are all qualified writers." The audience also got a taste of his manuscript in progress. Castellani told us it had been the most difficult one to write: Characters from his two previous novels make a pilgrimage back to Santa Cecilia looking for family, trying to "fill a hole" in their lives. Going home to find your roots can be a difficult process, but the author does it himself so fearlessly.

Margaret:
He was carried away by Vladimir Nabakov's Lolita and loves the 19th Century writers George Elliot and Thomas Hardy. He believes our lives are "made up of countless sensibilities" and that "[his] Italy is not your Italy."

Castellani's writing in The Saint of Lost Things gave me such a vivid picture of my 92-year-old friend Antoinetta's youth in Wilmington's Little Italy. I feel I know Nettie better because I was drawn in by his Maddalena character, peeking into her view of the United States and of her marriage to the man of her parents' choice. And how fun not only to meet the author, but also speak to his parents, his brother and sister afterward and discover that, yes, some of his writing is a spot-on description of his family and some comes from his prolific imagination.

Castellani brought me a new view of my friend Nettie's world and he and his family gave me an uncensored view of their own sensibilities. Hard to get closer than that to an author.

See www.dhf.org.
See www.city-theater.org.

Arts money to save jobs

So with recession, shrinking audiences and fewer philanthropic donations as the backdrop, Delaware just put $290,400 to work to sustain 14 jobs at 11 arts organizations. The saved jobs include curators, artistic, production, business and education staff.

This is one-time federal grant money for one year. Gov. Jack Markell and his designated "stimulus czar" Lt. Gov. Matt Denn cited not only the jobs themselves, but the value of arts to improve public education, encourage youth and attract employers seeking quality of life.

The government money comes from Congress, passed through the National Endowment of the Arts from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act this winter to confront the economy. Overall, the NEA distributed $50 million in job aid nationwide.

Then the Delaware Division of the Arts evaluated applications and decided:
Christina Cultural Arts Center in Wilmington got $20,000.
Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington got $50,000.
Delaware by Hand got $10,000.
Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts in Wilmington got $40,000.
Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation got $35,000.
Delaware Institute for Arts in Education got $5,000.
Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington got $40,000.
Newark Arts Alliance got $20,000.
New Candlelight Theatre in Ardentown got $22,500.
OperaDelaware in Wilmington got $27,900.
Wilmington Drama League got $20,000.

In addition, the Delaware Symphony Orchestra got $50,000 directly from the NEA.
And the Grand Opera House in Wilmington got $30,000 from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Lt. Gov. Denn said this arts money is the first chunk of federal stimulus to come to Delaware, and the "refreshingly drama-free" allocation process serves as a model for grantsmanship. Gov. Markell said, "This isn't the answer to everything but it helps," and is especially important to smaller organizations.

Live and online audiences

Buying tickets to be in an audience is just not happening as often, whether you're 18, in your 20s or middle-aged.

Yes, one in three American adults went to at least one performance or art museum over the course of a year, according to a 2008 survey done by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Yet that's a big decline since 2002. Audience numbers are down a third or more for jazz, classical music, opera, plays, galleries and especially ballet. Only musicals have sold fairly steadily.

Sure, blame economic recession and high gas prices. But online media entertainment is also a big factor. While fewer people go out to live shows, millions are downloading art, photography, music and theater. Now about as many Americans experience the arts by computer as they do through attendance.

Bottom line: Your enthusiasm and patronage have a direct effect on performers, production professionals and the experiences of a community. Downloads are a great way to sample, learn or follow at a distance. But don't miss the energy, acoustics and close observation of being present at the creation in the room where performance happens.

Music alumni awards

Whether you knew it as the Wilmington Music School or as the now renamed Music School of Delaware, the staff wants to hear how its ex-students are doing. It's organizing an alumni association. Sign up on the web home page.

Know someone who's especially outstanding? Nominations are sought for two Distinguished Alumni awards -- one for accomplishments in music, and the second in other pursuits.
Potential honorees should be 18 or older with noteworthy achievements.

Nomination forms are on the web site www.musicschoolofdelaware.org. Submit by Sept. 15.

The awards ceremony will be Oct. 7 in Wilmington.

Music lessons by site

The Music School of Delaware now offers lessons in Middletown, at the Odessa Townsend Senior Center, 300 S. Scott St. Kids and adults can learn voice, piano, flute, guitar, early childhood activities, even garage band there.

This fine school's main branch is at 4101 Washington St., Wilmington. Its extensive course list for all ages -- including ensembles, conservatory preparation, performances, music history, theory, autism and Alzheimer's therapy -- is at http://www.musicschoolofdelaware.org/.

Other lesson locations are at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Pike Creek; People's Church of Dover; the Drum Pad in Felton; and Long Neck United Methodist Church in Millsboro.

Maestro Amado Unites a City Under the Stars

By Guest Blogger, Jessica Graae

On a most perfect night at Tubman-Garrett Park on Wilmington’s Riverfront, people came together to celebrate the Fourth of July. It was a momentous occasion for the city, observed in a location that commemorates heroes of the Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery movement, at a moment when our country is regaining its collective pride being while being led by our first African-American president.

Maestro Amado’s energetic, yet sensitive and expressive conducting painted a swath of bright colors with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Amado took the orchestra and the audience on a historic and emotional journey. Ever the educator, Amado gave the audience a taste of the work of two great American composers, Aaron Copland and Charles Ives. Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man--with its pure open fifths and simple melodies--is an accessible, warm piece. Ives’ Variations on American the Beautiful orchestrated by another American composer, William Schuman, is a tapestry of musical styles, from Classical to Victorian. At one point, the orchestra played a quirky variation that could have served as an overture to a Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta.

The Delaware Valley Chorale, under the direction of David Christopher, sang beautifully. Despite being amplified over a large space, each word and voice part rang out clearly. Their rousing rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic energized the audience. Moving was their wordless Hymn to the Fallen, from John Williams’ "Saving Private Ryan" film score, accompanied by the DSO.

Before closing the program with marches by John Philip Sousa, the orchestra played a medley of tunes from armed forces. As veterans, enlisted and reservists stood when they recognized the theme music of their division, the audience cheered. The colorful firework display brought the evening to a joyous finish.

Art Looping on Independence Weekend

By Guest Blogger, Jessica Graae

Pulling into Toscana’s parking lot at 5:42, I was lucky to get the last seat on the Art Loop bus. Most of us aboard were new to Wilmington's Art of the Town experience and were happily chatting as our guide/driver, Shawn, wove his way from Trolley Square to downtown Wilmington. He made sure we had plenty of time for exhibit-viewing and that we got to each destination on the Loop. Great job, Shawn!

At Gallery 919 Market, Peter Kaplan’s photography demanded attention with its bold, daring hues. A renegade, Kaplan related how his persistence has paid off, as he gained special access to the Statue of Liberty, becoming the preferred photographer of Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation. Though many of his photographs are shot from dizzying heights, he is fascinated by detail: April, 1938 is a close-up of The Statue of Liberty’s toe with the date carved in it. Other notable pieces include aerials of the Golden Gate Bridge, for which he was named the official 50th anniversary celebration photographer.

For information on his upcoming book America From Above, see http://www.peterbkaplanstock.com/.

Our bus reached the Delaware Art Museum just in time for us to hear Ne Ne Ali, the eleven-year-old headliner of YouthSpeaks! A brilliant and insightful young poet, Ali stunned the audience with her wisdom, words and grace. Her social commentary included an observation that MTV and BET were “trying to raise her.” Through her dynamic verse, she reminded us that the spoken word is virtuous, can lead to reading and free thinking, and can guide away from negative stereotypes.

For information on Ali and to hear her poetry, see www.myspace.com/neneali. Be sure to visit!

Art Helps to Restore a Downtown’s Vibrancy

Mike Kalmbach was an artist looking for exhibit space. The Delaware College of Art and Design instructor noticed a lot of “available” space in myriad buildings in the area. So, this determined young man formed a group of 71 young artists in the same position and presto!: ART POWER---otherwise known as the New Wilmington Art Association---has helped enlivened a number of unoccupied storefronts all around the city.

On July 3, Mike mounted an exhibit of 31 artists on the floor above a sneaker store on 605 Market Street. The art is young, unpretentious and vibrant.

Alexander Chassey’s cynical cartoon style in acrylic on canvas hits hard. Killer shows a thug getting a back-rub from one babe and a beer from another. Francine Fox’s graphite-on-paper drawing series Talking to myself moved me, with its surreal figures whispering into ears with an Alice in Wonderland-esque feel. E.C. Graney’s surprisingly conservative oils on board were refreshing and well-executed. I am still laughing at Lee S. Millard’s Large, Obnoxious Wall Label ink jet print.

The NWAA moves to 214 North Market this fall. Come see them and help them revitalize Lower Market Street.

See newwilmingtonart.blogspot.com

Music at the Newark Free Library

Nicole Aldrich’s pure high notes and infallible pitch are only a small part of her musical life. She is a pianist and conductor, too.

“It’s all music and any chance I get to share music, I am delighted.” Her mastery of French, German and Italian made Debussy, Handel, Mozart, Fauré, Bellini, Gounod come alive. Lori Geckle accompanied her on the piano and in piano duets.

Pam Nelson, program organizer, said “We are grateful to have programs of such quality and it is the support of the Friends of the Newark Free Library that makes them possible.”

The next concert features Eileen Grycky, flute and Christian Taggart, guitar on Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m.

Call 302-731-7550 for information about Newark Free Library programs.

Mining Our Young Poetry "Gems"

By Guest Blogger, JulieAnne Cross

I admire those who are willing to mine that precious element that is youth talent. There is an individual whose work with young people always blows my mind: a gentleman named “iz the truth”, whom I know from activities that “stimulate the minds and expand the dynamics of thinking” for all ages of people who live, work and play in Wilmington. He, along with Fridam Marley, is the force behind YouthSpeaks! The program celebrates the creative spirit of young Wilmington poets and spoken-word artists and organizes events for artists 21 and under.

This Friday, July 3, from 6:00-8:00pm, the Delaware Art Museum hosts 11-year-old Bronx poet Ne Ne Ali, the headlining artist for a YouthSpeaks! event featuring many young Wilmington-area spoken-word artists. Ms. Ali is well-regarded for her passion for the healing power of words and her ability to deliver mind-blowing, standing ovation-garnering performances.

This free event runs concurrent with Art on the Town, so you can take advantage of the Art Museum’s other free offerings, as well as the free Art Loop afterparty, re:Fresh. July’s re:Fresh is hosted by nearby Toscana Kitchen+Bar, and YouthSpeaks! organizers will be on hand to celebrate what I’m sure will be a stupendous success.

http://grandgood.com/2009/02/15/ne-ne-ali-11-year-old-spoken-word-poet-delivers-impromptu-performance-video/

See www.delart.org/prog_events/fam_youth/index.html

Flavors of Spain at the DCMF

John-Andrew Fernandez, baritone, didn’t just sing Siete canciones populares españolas by Manuel de Falla, he acted them out. With Fermin Maria Álvarez’ La Partida, the Delaware Chamber Music Festival audience was his.

Pablo Zinger was the perfect collaborative pianist for the Spanish program.

Navarra by Pablo de Sarasate was breakneck for two violins and piano – no problem for duo Hirono Oka and Barbara Govatos and Pablo Zinger.

Oka and Govatos joined Burchard Tang, viola and John Koen, cello for Teresa Carreño’s String Quartet in B Minor and La Oracion del Torero by Joaquin Turina – giving Delaware a taste of music truly off the beaten path.

See www.dcmf.org

Ladies First at the DCMF

The Delaware Chamber Music Festival devoted their June 26 concert to Sylvia Glickman, pianist, composer and advocate for women’ music who died in 2006.

Charles Abramovic played Glickman’s Dances and Entertainments with insight and gave singular character to each vignette.

Glickman would no doubt have applauded the commission the DCMF gave Ingrid Arauco, an associate professor at Haverford College.

Divertimento is “light, not long for a summer evening. You can look at the pieces as five little experiments, five little essays,” said Arauco. Frank Ferraro played his trumpet delicately, giving Barbara Govatos, violin and Yumi Kendall, cello ample room for dynamic variation and expression.

See http://www.dcmf.org/.

Newark Arts Alliance

On June 23, a visit to the Newark Arts Alliance finds Nancy Breslin having finished a session on Artist Self-Promotion and Doortje Shover raving about it.

 

Terry Foreman has this as one of myriad activities she manages to run in the leanest of times.   “We still have Camp Imagine, but we have cut all the fat,” she said. 

 

The NAA has more than just visual arts – they have open mike poetry nights, acoustic jams, music performances, children’s writers groups and even fibers and embellishment groups.

 

A courageous organization championing art for all is well worth the visit. 

 

See www.newarkartsalliance.org.  

Couleurs exotiques at DCMF

Carla Dirlikov, mezzo-soprano showed her love for the music of Maurice Ravel in Shéhérazade in the Delaware Chamber Music Festival’s second concert.

Barbara Govatos, violin had both delicate and forceful sounds and remarkable harmonics for Olivier Messaien’s Fantaisie pour violon et piano.

Clancy Newman’s fingers were a blur of motion in the Cello Sonata in D Minor by Claude Debussy.

With the Piano Quartet in G Minor by Gabriel Fauré, Marcantonio Barone played piano for each demanding piece in the first two programs of the series. His brilliant playing supported Barbara Govatos, violin, Pamela Fay, viola and Clancy Newman, cello.

The festival players and guests were more than happy to talk about their playing with the audience after the concert which made you realize that in Delaware, the world is small enough to mingle and yet the music is as good as you will find anywhere.

See www.dcmf.org.

Song Yet Sung: McBride's Novel Set to Life in Word & Song

~By guest blogger, Jessica Graae

On June 19, the second floor of Wilmington’s Ameritage Bistro burst alive with the words of James McBride’s Song Yet Sung and the beat of African drums and griot cries. In conjunction with the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and the celebration of Juneteenth, The Delaware Humanities Forum presented a dramatic reading of McBride’s historically influenced novel set in Dorchester County. The character, Liz Spocott, who has suffered a blow to her head rendering her prophetic, is loosely based on the life of Harriet Tubman.

TS Baynes, an actor with City Theater Company, performed Spocott’s monologue. Baynes’ performance was warm and thoughtful. She made clever use of her performance space, pulling the audience into the pre-Civil War town and its outlying swamps. The steady drumbeat provided by Kamau Ngom helped establish urgency to Spocott’s message of freedom and escape, carrying us back to her African roots at the same time.

In the second portion of the program, Ngom gave an informative performance and lecture on Underground Railroad songs and handmade musical instruments. The audience learned that “Wade in the Water” wasn’t just a song about baptism, but a song slaves would sing to warn others to get to water quickly to throw off the chase of nearby dogs. Ngom reminded us of the powerful influence this early African American music has had on the blues, jazz and popular music.

Hungarian Flavors from DCMF

From the gypsy lilt and rubato in the Jenö Hubay Hejre Kati to the Hungarian Dance #5 by Johannes Brahms, Music Director Barbara Govatos played the gamut of range and color of her 1619 Amati violin.

Igor Begelman, clarinet and Jeffrey Lang, horn were jazzy and unfettered in the Sextet in C major by Ernö Dohnányi. The contrast of winds and strings with Barbara Govatos, violin, Burchard Tang, viola and Clancy Newman, cello soared above Marcantonio Barone’s piano.

Kudos to Marcantonio Barone for his telepathic anticipation of each player. The Piano Quartet in G minor by Johannes Brahms was passionate, yet perfect.

See www.dcmf.org.

Who Wants a Mai Tai?

OK, this is not really “arts”, but it is retro funky, which I love…If you’re headed to the Clifford Brown Jazz Fest on Saturday, June 20 and want some later-evening, campy fun, be sure to hit Wilmington’s newest old tradition—Saturday Night Supper Club!

This increasingly-popular theme night returns to Deep Blue Bar & Grill, this time as Copacabana Night. With dinner seating from 7:00pm on, you can grab a 3-course nosh and complimentary bubbly ($35 fixed price), then stay for Mai Tais & dancing with spinning by the ultra-hip DJ Zip at 10:00pm. Dress to impress and don’t be afraid to go with the theme—music and passion is always the fashion at the Copa!

Miss it this time around? Catch SNSC monthly on the third Saturday at Deep Blue, 111 W. 11th Street in Wilmington.

See http://www.deepbluebarandgrill.com/.

Delaware Chamber Music Festival

Delaware Chamber Music Festival 2009

 

The 24^th annual Delaware Chamber Music Festival starts Friday, June 19 at 7:30 at the Wilmington Music School.  The festival core group consists of  Barbara Govatos, violin, Hirono Oka, violin, Burchard Tang, viola and Clancy Newman, cello.

 

Outstanding guest artists join them for the two-week festival, Charles Abramovic, piano, Frank Ferraro, trumpet, Marcantonio Barone, piano, Yumi Kendall, cello, Igor Begelman, clarinet,  John Koen, Cello,  Carla Dirlikov, mezzo-soprano,  Jeffrey Lang, horn,  John-Andrew Fernandez, baritone,  Pablo Zinger, piano and Pamela Fay, viola.

 

Music director Barbara Govatos, a native of Delaware, welcomes audiences with a warmth and humor that invites you to enjoy the music.

 

June 19 and June 26 at 7:30 p.m.

June 21 and 28 at 3 p.m.

 

See www.dcmf.org for details.  

July 4th musical salute

Before the fireworks at Wilmington's Riverfront, hear the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Delaware Valley Chorale do patriotic music at 8:30 p.m. July 4. Bring blankets and lawn chairs to Tubman-Garrett Park for the 8:30 p.m. concert. It's all free.

WDEL 1150 AM radio will broadcast the concert live that night too.

The orchestra plays Hollywood hits July 11 at the Freeman Center at Bayside, 4 miles west of Fenwick Island at the intersection of routes 54 and 20. This concert's at 7 p.m. -- with a July 12 rain date. It's also free.

3 Arty Things You Need to Know

I love promoting new, unique, or "underground" projects. While I don't consider these "underground", I do believe more people should discover them!

1. DHF Books & Authors Series
Delaware Humanities Forum features City Theater Company actors in a monthly book discussion series called Interpreting Dreams. The first of three programs starts June 19 at 7:00pm at Ameritage Bistro, featuring Song Yet Sung by James McBride, which details the story of runaway slaves. CTC favorite, actor TS Baynes, will no doubt give another of her dynamic performances for the reading that kicks off the program. Also, percussionist Kamau Ngom performs African drum music and talks about connections among blues music, country shouts, and the Underground Railroad.

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

2. New Wilmington Art Association
This group of contemporary artists has steadily created buzz, and I couldn’t be more jazzed to see their work — sculpture, installation, photography, video and more — arrive on the Wilmington art scene. It’s refreshing, thrilling, sometimes even bewildering — and you need to see it all. NWAA member Ron Longsdorf has a solo exhibition in DDOA’s Mezzanine Gallery through July 17. But July’s Art on the Town (7/3) will see a massive group show from NWAA members at 605 Market. Get there!

See http://newwilmingtonart.blogspot.com/.

3. Brandywine Guitar Quartet
The group features a fave musician of mine: guitarist, composer and teacher Chris Braddock. All its members are classically educated and accomplished performers and instructors around the region, and they’ve joined forces to perform a range of music including classical, jazz, flamenco, and more. Check them out August 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the Cecil County Summer Music Concert Series at Pell Gardens in Chesapeake City, MD.

See www.myspace.com/brandywineguitarquartet or http://www.braddockmusic.com/

The Copeland Quartet

A string quartet is a rare jewel among musical ensembles for many reasons:  first, four musicians have to agree to a great deal of their time practicing together.  Second, players must adjust to each other’s idiosyncrasies while learning to perform as a single entity.  Third, the four must agree on the musical interpretations of the pieces they play.

Delaware has such a jewel in the Copeland Quartet.  Eliezer Gutman, violin, Thomas Jackson, violin, Nina Cottman, viola and Mark Ward, cello have reached a high point in their ensemble playing since the quartet was formed in 2003 and they proved it with a performance on June 14 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Wilmington – an acoustic haven for their sound.

But it is not just the acoustics which make the gifted group sound so good.  The group has established a level of communication that allows them to complete lines of very fast scales in the Arriaga String Quartet in A Major so that one voice simply melts into the next as if one player were pushing a ‘now cello, now viola, now violin button’.  And when they played a variation in the Andante movement with pizzicato and forte on the offbeat eighth notes, they were perfectly syncopated.  That is difficult for one person to do – try it as a foursome.

The concert continued with one of the more difficult quartets in the repertoire:  The String Quartet in F major by Maurice Ravel.  Sleeves rolled up, the players provided the tone color Ravel painted in the score with fantastic intonation and listening to the chords they created in each movement.  The effect of the double stop pizzicati against the legato notes in the second movement was electric.  The audience seemed to lean forward to see how it was done.

The Copeland will play four concerts at the Church of the Holy Trinity next year: October 11, January 24, April 18 and June 13 – all concerts at 4 p.m.

 

See www.copelandstringquartet.com for more information.

 

Art camp in Middletown

The Gibby art center offers two weeks of kids' summer camp on nature themes too.

From July 27 to 31: Look to the environment to recycle stuff into sculpture, mixed media and fabric arts.

From Aug. 3 to 7: Plants and animals inspire ideas for making prints, painting and drawing.

Classes range from one hour for preschoolers with an adult present; half-days for kindergartners and first-graders; and full days for second- to eighth-graders. Morning and afternoon care is also available.

Teen and adult volunteers are needed to help too.

For fees and hours, see http://www.thegibby.com/. Or call (302) 449-5396.

Eo Omwake's landscapes

Eo Omwake's landscape paintings now at the Gibby gallery in Middletown have an alive quality that freshens the familiar meadows and hedgerows and iconic animals.

His theme "Honoring Nature" is straightforward enough, but the pictures are not so simple. Eo's roots as an abstract painter in mixed media are evident in the poised compositions and patterned backgrounds. It's his affinity for Buddhism and Eastern philosophy that suggests a beckoning spirit in these places beyond the usual Brandywine scenes.

His misty, diffused handling of acrylic paint is another wonder. He said he layered paint in the typical oil method, but the acrylic surfaces come up drier and warmer. He told me he used airbrush on big expanses plus brush work on the figurative subjects. That yielded a borderless sense of space and distance - to serve his meaning about nature's mystery.

So "White Sound of Winter," a 36-inch canvas with a hint of snowy field and woods, has tenderness despite its blank austerity. And "Rock" in mossy greens and browns somehow looks reptilian rather than sedimentary.

Eo said his ornery and irreverent impulses came out in two portraits of his pet cats hunched atop a Buddha statue and a totem pole. After all, the Buddha didn't take himself so seriously. The cats' inscrutable eyes and muscular tension are not just whimsy, though. Beware of life.

This show continues to June 27. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays at the Gilbert W. Perry Jr. Center for the Arts, 51 W. Main St., Middletown. It's next door to the Everett Theater. See http://www.thegibby.com/.

Eo Omwake teaches at the Gibby, and will start new workshops this fall. He also holds classes at the Delaware Art Museum and Buzz Ware Village Center in Arden, as well as a good many Philadelphia colleges.

His Web site is omwake.com.

K. O. Simms on the June Art Loop

A truck with a large painting in the back pulled up to Veritas Wine Shop, and a man unfolded himself from the driver’s seat. Artist K. O. Simms is here to meet and greet people at his exhibit inside the new riverfront wine store.

Simms is a man who enjoys creating his work among his “subjects”. He has often set his canvas up on busy street corners in Wilmington. He told me he likes to paint things as they happen, and he would love to paint a concert in progress.

His work at Veritas includes a sizeable interpretation of the Wilmington Riverfront, done in acrylic with a palette knife. The knife strokes form a rough texture and shapes that made me feel as though I could reach into the painting and touch objects inside. “People ask me, ‘don’t you ever use brushes?’, says Simms. “But I prefer working with a palette knife.”

Many of his works have a jazz theme and incorporate bright or rich coloring. His Billie Holiday piece depicts her with vibrant flowers in her hair as she croons into the microphone. The background is an intense blue, with a bass player vanishing into the space. Clifford Brown shows the trumpet player at the heart of the piece, clothed in a bright green suit.

Other works capture day-to-day city happenings. His East Ninth Street and Pine displays heavy red bricks on the buildings. The people portrayed are those he knows, such as an old man collecting trash on the street. “He was always out there, trying to maintain the neighborhood,” noted Simms.

When talking about his painting of a wedding, he spoke expressively of the young ring bearer and his recovery from childhood cancer. Simms’ art clearly not only illustrates events and people he reveres, but also celebrates the “little things” in everyday life here in Wilmington.

An active art instructor, K. O. Simms teaches primarily at “The Gibby” in Middletown. He’ll also be offering a course on Painting in Nature at Wilmington’s Blue Ball Barn on June 14 as part of Alapocas Run State Park’s summer programming. For details, call the park office at 302.577.1164.

Rainbow Chorale turns ten

“June after June giving up, giving in, giving out: trumpeting the exquisite, excruciating pleasure of growing here” is how poet Susan Windle blessed the Rainbow Chorale on its 10th anniversary concert.

Windle recited her work, Into the Blue: A Blessing from The Rainbow Chorale. As gifted a performer as she is poet, her reading sent chills down my spine as I realized how spellbinding a professional recital of a poem can be.

Pianist Hiroko Yamazaki gave a sparkling performance of Clearfield’s music, punctuated with soaring flute played by Mindy Bowman and ringing vibraphone played by Colin Bunnell.

Andrea Clearfield was pleased with the premiere. “It was exciting to be involved because in ten years, this was the first piece ever commissioned by the chorus.”

Chad Nelson, bass, was glad that two former directors had attended the concert. “It’s really exciting to have both Alison Skinner, who was our Artistic Director from 2007 to 2008, and Elliot Jones, who was our founding director, here tonight.”

Jones conducted the Chorale in a spectacular arrangement of Somewhere Over the Rainbow which he had instituted as a quasi theme song for the group. The a cappela harmonies in this song were impressive indeed.

Artistic Director Stephen Caldwell is carrying the banner of fine performance.

See http://www.therainbowchorale.org/.

**Above artwork created by Lynn Hessler.

SOWETO Festival double-header

Melomanie co-hosted A Concert for Peace with Pacem in Terris on June 5 at Grace United Methodist Church. The concert featured ensemble members and guest artists in a repertoire of "Music Uniting the World". This was a fundraiser for both organizations, held in conjunction with the 20th SOWETO Festival Art Exhibit at Grace Church.

The music began with three vivacious movements of Paris Quartet in D Major by Georg Philipp Telemann. Guest artist & Baroque violinist Linda Kistler and Melomanie's Baroque flutist Kimberly Reighley played with such verve, switching off parts of the lively Vivement, that in the audience local conductor Lawler Rogers remarked to me, "I wanted to get up and dance after that!"

Composers Chris Braddock and Mark Hagerty had pieces featured in the program. Braddock's Pluck showed the versatility of the harpsichord, the sound of which evoking a "country music" feel, and proved that period instruments are not mired in the sands of time.

Mark Hagerty's Alla Raga (see 5/25 post) ended with a magnificent, rapid stretch of notes played by Richardson with each hand, as she improvised a melody with her right thumb. It sounded as though she had three hands on the keyboard!

The concert ended with the last three movements of Telemann's Paris Quartet. Cello, harpsichord and guitar were joined by fast and furious notes from the Baroque violin, viola da gamba (played by Donna Fournier) and Baroque flute. As the piece concluded, the audience gave a standing ovation.

Before the concert, the SOWETO Festival exhibited works from several noted regional visual artists. From the light blues in Doris L. Hill's Bambi Blue mixed media piece to the deep blue hues of the abstract I Rise from Eunice LaFate, the artwork seemed to depict man's global struggle.

Debbie Hegedus' work There are so many hungry people, is made up of a bottle and landscape with silverware dangling from it. Inside the bottle reads a quote from Ghandi: "And God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." Michael J. Riley's pencil on paper, entitled No Fancy Parade, showed a lineup of African-Americans unrecognized for their service to society: a soldier, a pastor, a teacher, and the line goes on.

The art exhibit will be open to the public at Grace through August 15, a portion of all artwork sales will benefit Pacem in Terris' charitable efforts.

See www.melomanie.org.

The Dumont Concerts: Breathing Life into the Baroque

–by guest blogger, Jessica Graae

To enter the concert hall at the Barn at Flintwoods is to greet the Baroque era in all its gilded magnificence. Not only a performance and recording venue, the space houses a treasured private collection of antique harpsichords. The collection, ranging from several Ioannnes Ruckers models, a 1707 Nicholas Dumont and a Spanish-made harpsichord, has been carefully restored both mechanically and aesthetically. Each is meticulously decorated with pastoral scenes, flying cherubs, and even shrimp waiting patiently to be consumed. The most recent acquisition – a harpsichord made by Ruckers in 1627 – was unveiled at Brandywine Baroque’s Dumont Concerts, a weekend-long harpsichord “festival”, which concluded on Sunday, May 24.

The Dumont Concerts opened with a wonderful recital by Karen Flint, Artistic Director of Brandywine Baroque. She played several instruments in the collection, taking us on a musical journey both around the room and world. Striking is Ms. Flint’s knowledge of performance practice and musicology. Her program included two works by Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729), a composer and court musician for Louis XIV. Ms. Flint played these virtuosic, sometimes contemplative, movements with grace and skill. The evening ended with Davitt Moroney on the 1635 Ruckers harpsichord, joining Ms. Flint in a “four hands” duet by François Couperin (1668-1733).

Olivier Baumont performed a program entitled “Les Clavecinistes versaillais”. An exceptional artist and scholar, Mr. Baumont played works by eight different composers who performed at Versailles, including Couperin, Jean-Phillip Rameau, and an eight-year-old Mozart. After each piece, Mr. Baumont applauded the instrument he had played, reminding us how special and important each of the harpsichords is at the Barn at Flintwoods.

See www.brandywinebaroque.org.

Delaware Symphony freebie

A free sample of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra's next season is available on CD, just by asking.

The "Listen Local" CD previews the DSO and its guest artists in the repertoire of the 2009-2010 classical series. Conductor David Amado also recorded a friendly and informative conversation with host Mark Mobley about the musical juxtapositions in each concert. They talk about lesser-known works of Mozart, Beethoven and Stravinsky to ever-popular Grieg, Dvorak, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland and Kurt Weill.

Mark Mobley is the DSO's director of community engagement and frequent narrator. E-mail him at markm@delawaresymphony.org to request a copy of the audio guide.

A complete brochure also lists the coming children's and pops concerts at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, plus the champagne chamber series at the Hotel du Pont Gold Ballroom.

The Delaware Symphony Orchestra opens Sept. 25 and 26 with a piano showcase contrasting Gershwin, Ravel and Rachmaninov. The preview CD even has an excerpt of Rachmaninov himself playing his concerto.