You missed! This event is over

Chamber Players of the Redwoods Winter Concert

Arcata Lutheran Church

The Chamber Players of the Redwoods presents the second of three annual concerts on Sunday, February 1st at 2:00 p.m. at The Lutheran Church of Arcata. As usual, this event promises to be a lively mixture of intimate musical performance and enthusiastic community collaboration. Concert admission is free for everyone, and donations are also gratefully accepted at the door before and after the concert.

This home-grown concert series specializes in presenting north coast musicians performing “music of the masters,” and this concert is no exception. Included on the program is the ten-member wind ensemble Humboldt Harmoniemusik, performing “Sinfonietta” by Swiss Romantic composer Joachim Raff; the French horn quintet Cornocopia playing a transcription of Mozart’s “Quintet for Horn and Strings;” North Coast Brass playing “Quintet No. 1” by local composition legend Michael Kibbe; and the jazz trio Jazz Beyond Recall will play tunes by John Lewis and Herbie Nichols on alto sax, bass, and vibraphone.

Most of the performers are a mix of current and former music teachers and music students from Cal Poly Humboldt, College of the Redwoods, and several local high schools, as well as community members who love to play their instruments and to collaborate with other musicians. Many of these players were born and raised in Humboldt, while many others moved here for work or retired here after adventures and careers elsewhere.

Humboldt Harmoniemusik features Gary Lewis and Kearney Vander Sal on flute; Susan Sisk on oboe; Virginia Ryder on English horn; Kenneth Ayoob and Gwen Gastineau-Ayoob on clarinet; Danny Gaon and Aaron Lopez on bassoon; and Anwyn Halliday and Donald Bicknell on horn. The term “Sinfonietta” was actually coined by composer Joachim Raff for this work. Published in 1874, it was premiered in 1875 in St. Petersburg. The first movement is in sonata form with contrasting sprightly and stately themes that are developed in counterpoint before being reprised. The second movement is a dance in f minor, and the third expresses lyric Romanticism in C major. The final movement returns to F major in a dazzling, vivacious Vivace.

Made up of five local French horn players, Cornocopia features Michael Robertson, Anwyn Halliday, Don Bicknell, Gwenda Eliason, and Dick LaForge. Mozart wrote this piece in 1782 for his friend Joseph Leutgeb, a virtuoso hornist. It was written for solo horn and a non-conventional string quartet: violin, two violas, and cello. This version for five horns was transcribed by James Emerson. In 1782, valves for brass instruments had not yet been invented. Because notes other than the harmonic series required tricky hand and lip techniques, the horn part was very difficult to play on period instruments. With modern, valved instruments, it is merely difficult.

The current members of North Coast Brass are Chris Cox and Allie Richmond, trumpet; Mike Robertson, horn; Phil Sams, trombone; and Fred Tempas, tuba. The quintet they will perform is by San Diego born composer Michael Kibbe, who has lived here on the north coast for many years now. “The Quintet No. 1 for brass instruments was composed in 1975 when I was teaching at a university,” says Kibbe, “though it was not premiered until many years later. The piece is the first of several for brass instruments. It is in three contrasting movements of a neo-Classical style, similar to the works of Hindemith.”

Keeping the musical mix humming, the trio Jazz Beyond Recall brings together three seasoned local players, featuring Gary Lewis once again, this time on alto sax, Humboldt native Matt McClimon on vibraphone, and Danny Gaon, this time exchanging his bassoon for the bass. They will perform the 1954 jazz standard “Django” by John Lewis, and two contemporary jazz tunes by Herbie Nichols, “Crisp Day” and “Cro-Magnon Nights.”

DATES/TIMES

WHERE

• Arcata Lutheran Church

PRICE

• Free