Arts and Literature Laboratory welcomes Oakwood Chamber Players on Sunday, May 12, at 2pm, for an afternoon of chamber music filled with springtime zest! Tickets are $25 general admission, and $20 for students and seniors. Purchase advance tickets directly from the Oakwood Chamber Players website.
Two works for the rich combination of flute, viola and cello might suggest a waterside stroll and a fresh breeze in your hair. Composer/flutist Laurel Zucker (b.1955) evokes the sights and sounds of Puget Sound in the dreamy and imaginative “Harbor Sounds.” A historical nod to Austrian composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) takes us to a time and place far removed from the Pacific Northwest, but no less breezy. The London Trios, commissioned by English publisher John Bland, were among many works that resulted from Haydn’s fruitful career period alongside the River Thames.
French composer Henri Tomasi (1870-1958) dreamed of being a sailor, so it’s no surprise that his Évocations for solo oboe reflects his wandering spirit. This series of musical vignettes pays homage to seaside nations across the globe: Peru, Nigeria, Cambodia and Scotland.
Oakwood will be joined by guests Buzz Kemper (narrator) and Stacy Regehr (piano) for the Billy Collins Suite by Vivan Fung (b.1975), a work inspired by the iconic American poet known for meshing wit and humor with introspectivity and tenderness. Fung’s musical voice heightens and punctuates Collins’ prose, drawing the listener in with curiosity and a fresh perspective. Equally enchanting and whimsical, OCP winds join forces with Regehr for “A Tour D’Anches” (“Reeds in Turn”), by French composer Florent Schmitt (1870-1958).
Treat yourself (and perhaps your mother!) to this program of refreshing music for strings and winds!