Classical Tuesdays in Old Town welcomes back Brass Unlimited for our October 9th concert. Brass Unlimited performed on our inaugural series in 2005, and we've had many requests to bring them back. So here they are!
• Concert flyer (PDF)
David Mulkins plays trumpet and piccolo trumpet and Karl Ronning plays trumpet and fluegelhorn. On trombone is Eric Stevens, and Keith Gorsuch on bass trombone. Their program for the evening celebrates the sounds of brass with the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Prokofiev and the great American composer Aaron Copland.
These four professional music educators are some of Tacoma's most popular and recognized musicians. The ensemble, celebrating its 10th season! January 2008, has performed with the Bellevue Chamber Chorus, Tacoma Community College Choir, for Tacoma Opera Festival of Trees, Museum of Glass, Lakewold Gardens,and the Harbor Club in Seattle.
7:00 PM at the Slavonian Hall. Free admission.
October 9th concert: Sounds of Celebration
Our 9/11 concert: Thanks!
We had a wonderful concert last night. Our favorite string players, Maria Sampen and Timothy Christie, joined by guests Jennifer Caine and Sally Singer, played the beautiful Cavatina from Beethoven's String Quartet in B flat, Op. 130 and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. Pamela Ryker, on flute, joined the strings in Mozart's Quartet in A Major and baritone Charles Robert Stephens sang a stirring rendition of Dover Beach by Barber.
A big thank you to all who helped make this such a successful evening! An especial thank you to John Petrinovich and the Slavonian Benevolent Society for the use of the performance space in the beautiful old Slavonian Hall. And the coffee donated by Old Town Starbucks was very much appreciated by everyone as we gathered after the concert for community time. A big thank you to Carol at Katie Downs for hosting a supper for the performers at the end of the evening.
Thank you, Alexis, for greeting our friends and neighbors as they came in, and for setting out the coffee and cookies. Thank you Kate and Jim for helping to fold and stack chairs afterwards!
And, a big thank you to our neighbors and friends, old and new, for attending, this our first concert of the 2007 season. We enjoyed such a strong sense of community.
Please take note of our list of generous sponsors and supporters, at left!
In Concert 9/11: Music for Reflection and Inspiration
On 9/11/2007, Classical Tuesdays in Old Town presents Beethoven's Cavatina from String Quartet in B flat, Op. 130, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, the Flute Quartet in A Major by Mozart and Dover Beach by Barber.
• Concert flyer (PDF)
Performing these works will be Charles Robert Stephens, baritone; Maria Sampen and Jennifer Caine, violins; Timothy Christie, viola; Sally Singer, cello and Pamela Ryker, flute.
The evening offers time for the community to gather for reflection and inspiration, to unite in good will and to share hope and strength for the future.
Join your neighbors for an evening of good music, refreshments and friendship.
7:00 PM at the Slavonian Hall. Free admission.
The News Tribune says we're cheap
This morning's News Tribune lists a number of free and cheap events in the South Sound area:
We had our critics dig deep between their sofa cushions and then hit the streets to find the biggest bang for their bucks. Here’s what they found...
THE ARTS
It might seem at first that the arts are an expensive pastime. Opera tickets cost up to $100, and even museum admission can set you back $20 for a blockbuster show. But culture doesn’t have to cost you.
Music – Free
• Classical Tuesdays in Old Town: This series of eclectic chamber music features local professional musicians; 7 p.m. second Tuesdays from September to December at Slavonian Hall, 2306 N. 30th St., Tacoma; 253-752-2135
Photo from lute & guitar concert
Elizabeth Brown gave us a lovely season finale, with a program of lute and guitar music from around the world.
December concert: Music for Lute and Guitar
Tuesday, December 12, 7 pm
Slavonian Hall, Old Town
Elizabeth Brown takes us on a world tour to England, Holland and France on Renaissance Lute, followed by exhilarating music from Spain and the Americas for classical guitar. Throughout the performance Ms. Brown will share stories about the composers, give historical context and provide insights on this wonderful music.
Listen to KUOW this afternoon!
KUOW 94.9 FM
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2 pm
Elizabeth Brown talks with Dave Beck about the history of the lute, and gives a preview of tonight's concert. 2 pm on KUOW's The Beat.
You can also download the interview later:
Nice mention in the Sunday News Tribune
The News Tribune
Sunday, Dec 10
PLU professor to perform lute, guitar music in Tacoma
"So how often do you get to hear a lute recital in Tacoma?
"Elizabeth Brown, head of the guitar and lute program at Pacific Lutheran University, will present the December evening of the series Classical Tuesdays in Old Town, sponsored by the Old Town Business District. A member of Baroque Northwest and a regular soloist and performer all along the West Coast, Brown is a highly regarded specialist in lute, archlute, theorbo, vihuela and early guitars.
"The fretted and plucked string instrument called the lute goes back to 2000 B.C., but the version Brown will play Tuesday will be the European version developed in the 15th century: eight courses (15 strings), seven frets, and a sound like soft raindrops. The instrument that followed a few centuries later, the classical guitar, has the same six strings as today, but gut strings and a different construction yield a more intimate sound. Brown uses both to travel from Renaissance England, Holland and France through to 18th-century Spain and the Americas."
Tacoma Power's Winter '06 newsletter
Classical Tuesdays is now in your utility bill!
This is an unusual--and great--way to announce a concert. Tacoma Power's Winter '06 issue of Powerline (PDF) lists Classical Tuesdays' December concert. The newsletter goes to a huge mailing list. What a great way to spread the word about arts events.
Calendar of eventsSee our concert announcement for more details.
Sponsored by Tacoma Power or Click! Network
Classical Tuesdays in Old Town
Renaissance Lute and Guitar perfromed by Elizabeth Brown
Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m., Slavonian Hall,
2306 N. 30th St., Tacoma. Free admission.
Contact 752-2135.
Photo from November concert
We had a wonderful concert last week with Maria Sampen, Timothy Christie, Miriam Shames and Joyce Ramée.
November concert: String Serenade
String Serenade
Tuesday, November 14, 7 pm
Slavonian Hall, Old Town
Featuring University of Puget Sound faculty Maria Sampen (pictured, right) and Timothy Christie, violin; and Joyce Ramée, viola and Miriam Shames, cello.
Music of Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998),
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750),
Luciano Berio (1925-2003),
and Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960)
Tacoma Weekly article, 11/9
The Tacoma Weekly
Nov 9
Concert series offers free classical music
by Todd Barker Johnson
"On the second Tuesday of each month this autumn, Tacomans are invited to get a free taste of classical chamber music, courtesy of Slavonian Hall and a few community-minded citizens with a taste for the arts.
"The classical music series known as “Classical Tuesdays in Old Town” began in the autumn of last year when the Old Town Business and Professional Association asked professional flutist Pam Ryker to arrange a new concert series for the people of Tacoma. Newly-appointed Artistic Director Ryker turned to District Manager Penelope Lucas for assistance, and the two went to work. . . .
"Most of the musicians who perform in the series are themselves from Tacoma. This includes performers from the Tacoma Symphony and music professors from local universities, such as violinist Maria Sampen and violinist/violist Timothy Christie, a married couple who both teach at the University of Puget Sound. . . .
"In addition to playing music, the musicians will often talk with the audience in between pieces, creating a more casual atmosphere than one might expect from a night of classical chamber music.
"Perhaps this casualness could explain the broad appeal of the concert series."
October concert: Loop 2.4.3 Return
Tuesday, October 10, 7 pm
Slavonian Hall, Old Town
Back by popular demand, percussion ensemble Loop 2.4.3 will present a lively indoor concert on the second floor of Slavonian Hall.
"Spew"ed by the Weekly Volcano
The Weekly Volcano
Oct 9
Float on air Tuesday in Old Town Tacoma
"Conventional wisdom dictates that you'd rather spend Tuesday night watching PAX TV and sharing a big bowl of prune whip with your great aunt Martha than venturing out to hear a band comprised of drums, marimba, congas and found sounds. But in this case, conventional wisdom would be wrong."
Evergreen Brass Quintet in the park
Thanks to everyone who came out Tuesday night! It was a beautiful evening in Old Town Park, and the Evergreen Brass Quintet were a great start to our season.
September concert
Tuesday, September 12, 6 pm
Job Carr Amphitheater in Old Town Park
The Evergreen Brass Quintet opens our second season with a fanfare! The Quintet will perform musical selections ranging from marches by Pieter Hellendaal and R. Vaughn Williams, to traditional works by Mozart and Villanueva, to newer works by Giles Farnaby, Anthony Holbourne and Ludwig Maurer.
The concert will be held outdoors next to the Slavonian Hall.
It's not over till....
Thanks to everyone who helped make these chamber concerts a success! We were overwhelmed by the great response, and we're already planning Season 2!
A final photo
Brass Unlimited gave us the perfect season finale last Tuesday. We also had another excellent student ensemble from the Tacoma Youth Symphony at C.I. Shenanigans:
Happy holidays!
December concert
Tuesday, December 13, 7 pm
Slavonian Hall, Old Town
The Brass Unlimited quartet will perform music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras.
Photo from the Sunset Strings concert
Tuesday's concert was our biggest crowd yet! You'll notice that we couldn't find a photo showing all 3 of us performing.... There's a simple explanation! This month's performers were Maria Sampen on violin, Timothy Christie on viola, and Pamela Butler Ryker on flute and camera.
