Michael Head Concert Sunday - Next Concert Announced for April 27th

Parks - von Spakoksvy Concert Sunday at 4 pm

Gary Parks and Ingrid von Spakovsky are set to perform this Sunday at Messiah Lutheran Church.  The concert begins at 4 pm. The concert will feature pieces for Oboe and Piano composed by the English Composer Michael Head, Claude Debussy and others. Solo piano pieces by Ingrid von Spakovsky will include Peter Maxwell Davies' Farewell to Stromnes and George Gershwin's Three Preludes.

This will be the premier performance of the concert. "Oboe Music of Michael Head."  This is the second concert in the newly formed  concert series. 

Admission is free.  Donations will be taken on the door to support the Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series.  Thank you for your patronage and support.

Phil Weaver, Rosa set for April 27th Concert Date

"Phil Weaver and Rosa Vidro Richardson"

Sunday,  April 27th, 2014 - 4:00 p.m. 

Toot and Twang is classical guitarist Phil Weaver and flutist Rosa Vidro Richardson. They are on the music faculty at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and have performed live on WLRH public radio, Moonfolk Festival, Berkeley Bob's Coffeehouse, City Lights and Stars Concert Series, and the Flying Monkey Arts Center. This season they performed at the Kentuck Festival's main stage and Tangled String Studios at Lowe Mill. Rosa has a Master's in flute performance from Austin Peay University and has performed with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and Gateway Chamber Ensemble. Phil Weaver was the first guitarist to be awarded an individual artist's fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and he performed the guitar part for Gustav Mahler's 7th Symphony with both the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic. His music video Danza with filmmaker Jon Sawa has been very well received with acclaim from the composer himself, two-time Grammy winner Edin Solis and Bill Kanengiser of LAGQ.

The program for April will include sambas by Celso Machado, tangos by Astor Piazzolla, Jose Luis Merlin's Progresiones para Pauline, as well as guitar solos by Edin Solis.

Publicity Efforts in Full Swing for Feb 16th "Michael Head" Concert

Gary Parks, Ingrid von Spakovsky to be interviewed on WLRH Feb 13th

(Update 2/13/2014 - the interview scheduled on WLRH has been cancelled due to weather / road conditions) We're pleased to announce that Gary Parks and Ingrid von Spakovsky are scheduled to be interviewed on air, at approximately 11:05 am, Thursday, Feb 13th on WLRH (89.3FM and online www.wlrh.org) by radio host Judy Watters.   In addition to the interview, MAMCCS will be recording a short Public Service Announcement with WLRH to run periodically prior to the February 16th Concert. Please tune in and if you are able, support our local Public Radio Station WLRH. We are grateful for their presence in the Tennessee River Valley.

Announcing a Facebook Page for Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series! 

We have recently created a Facebook Page for the Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series.  The ability for social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and You-Tube to extend the reach of traditional advertising is immense.  Please visit the page and "Like" it and "Share Posts"  with your users.  Here's the address:   https://www.facebook.com/musicatmessiah

Posters and Poster Cards Available at Messiah Lutheran Church!

A limited supply of posters and an ample supply of "Concert Cards" will be set out at the Welcome Center of Messiah Lutheran Church from now until February 16th.   Please take the concert cards and use them to invite co-workers or friends and place on your workplace lunch room bulletin board. The cards feature a handy "QR" code that allows the person to save the date to their smart phone calendars.

Gary Parks, Ingrid von Spakovsky prepare for Feb 16th Messiah Concert

Journey into the romantic, lyrical music of British composer Michael Head on February 16th.  Concert begins at 4 pm.

  

Oboist Gary Parks and pianist Ingrid von Spakovsky are set to perform the "Oboe Music of Michael Head." The concert will feature several delightfully pleasant and lyrical compositions by Head including Rondo, Siciliana, and the Suite for Oboe and Piano.  Also to be featured on the program will be several piano pieces of Claude Debussy, beautifully transcribed for oboe and piano by  oboist, Humbert Lucarelli. Additional works by Gershwin, Sayre and Davies will round out the performance. 

Michael Head was a 20th century British composer  well known as a singer and pianist who composed many art songs and pieces of choral literature. The oboe music featured  in this program is mostly a result of his collaboration with Lady Evelyn Rothwell Barbarolli, the first lady of the oboe in England.

Admission to the concert is free. Donations to support the Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series are greatly appreciated.   Please visit our sponsorship page for advertising and sponsorship information. 

A Cure for the Christmas Frenzy

The Advent Season is here. The sights and sounds of Christmas are all around us.  This wonderful video from the United States Air Force Band came to my attention this morning and I thought I would share it. It is wonderful.  Uplifting.  Happy.



Like the folks bustling around the Air and Space Museum, the days of Christmas are filled with frenetic,yet joyous activity. There's shopping to do, travel plans to make, parties to attend, and obligations and expectations to fulfill.  It can be so overwhelming. What on earth can restore the right spirit of Christmas?

It is doubtful that listening to "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" has ever brought anyone closer to Christ, but God does work in mysterious ways.

First, take a deep breath. Relax, release and listen to classical music!  If you are looking for Christmas spirit, may I first suggest adding "Handel's Messiah" to your media playlist or CD rotation.  When Christmas starts driving you crazy, listen to it. You will be enveloped in God's wonderful gift of music. He gave it Handel, and Handel has given it to the world.  When the traffic is crazy, grab that CD of classical music or tune into your classical radio station.

The mission of the Classical Musical Music Series is to share God's wondrous gift of music with our friends in the Madison, Alabama area.

Merry Christmas!

Arsenal Brass Quintet Performs at Inaugural Music at Messiah Concert

The very first Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series performance took place on November 10th, 2013, and featured the Arsenal Brass Quintet of the US Army Materiel Command Band.   The concert was underway at 4 pm with approximately 125 persons attending the approximately one hour long performance.

The program for the performance can be viewed here.

The Quintet jumped right into playing Rossini's William Tell's Overture from 1829 which put the late afternoon audience on notice that classical music compositions over time can take on modern identities as today most recognize the overture as the theme song to the TV show, the Lone Ranger.  The Quintet played several familiar titles including the frenetic Leroy Anderson's "Bugler's Holiday", a few jazz themed compositions and Sousa's less familiar, yet lyrical, "Fairest of the Fair."  In the final song of the performance,  "Yesterday" by Paul McCartney,  the Quintet reminded the audience that modern music can also take on classical music identities under the artistry of arrangers and musicians alike.   In honor of our Veterans in attendance, the Quintet concluded by playing Service Songs and treated the audience to an encore of Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever.

After the performance many enjoyed light refreshments that were provided by members of Messiah Lutheran Church's group, the "OWLS" and served on a patriotic, Veteran's Day themed table scape which featuring soldier memorabilia, flowers and service flags.

Our next Music at Messiah concert will be Sunday, February 16th at 4 P.M.  The concert will feature "The Oboe Music of Michael Head" performed by Gary Parks, oboe and Ingrid von Spakovsky, piano.

Here are some additional photos of the inaugural concert.  We on the committee would like to thank our musicians and all who came out to attend this wonderful afternoon of music and fellowship.

Arsenal Brass Quintet Concert Today

The concert is today at 4:00 PM.    We look forward to seeing you at Messiah Lutheran Church.  Messiah is conveniently located at 7740 Hwy 72 West (north side of Highway).  There is ample handicapped parking in our parking lot, and additional parking available in the Redstone Federal Credit Union lot next door.

Enjoy the concert!

*** Correction to the Program ***

On Page 12, The Madison Youth Orchestra will not be performing at Messiah Lutheran Church on December 3rd as listed in the program.

November 10th Concert Publicized Locally

Publicity in Full Swing for Arsenal Brass Concert

The Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series was featured in the following online editions.  It's great to have the positive publicity in advance of our first concert.

The Madison Record 

and the Huntsville Times / AL.Com

Keep spreading the word and share our site via social media. 

The concert is this Sunday, November 10th at 4:00 p.m. for the Arsenal Brass Quintet of the US Army Materiel Command Band