AFTER SO MANY SHIPWRECKS, A HAVEN / Report of May 20th Event at Sandwich Town Hall
The theme of May's Open Mic Classical Event (relocated to Sandwich temporarily; back to Brewster for June) was pioneering. The motto for Sandwich is "Post tot Naufracia Portus" ("after so many shipwrecks, a haven") and so it was that our feature Trio Vivo (Lucy Banner, Bruce Abbott, Mary Ellen Sears) joined by OMC co-founder clarinetist Monika Woods offered a sonic haven of delightful Americana melodies by composer Rick Sowash amidst a larger concert that also engagingly featured some sturm & drang piano and some adventurous Liszt and Grieg tonalities.
<< AWASH IN SOWASH >> The featured woodwind trio (center), playing composers including delightful quick-witted Americana by DYI composer Rick Sowash, rocked the halls of Sandwich. The trio was joined by OMC co-founder Monika Woods. The wonderful percussionist, and past OMC guest vibraphonist Amy Lynn Barber (lower left) co-mc'd to an engaged crowd that included local author Mitch Tishler (upper left).
Sandwich, along with Yarmouth, are the two oldest towns on the Cape. And picturing the hard knock do-it-yourself Pilgrims trickling down from Plymouth and forging their own Cape Cod destiny brings to mind the pioneering spirit of Rick Sowash, whose graceful and quick-witted Americana concoctions have gained prominence by virtue of do-it-yourself website publication. His site encourages folks to simply email him directly as a way to retrieve (for free!) scores of his work and accompanying mp3s.
<< strings strings strings be they plucked, hammered or bowed >> From upper-left clockwise wonderful house accompanist Ben Healy also performed solo Grieg; Zsoka Woods (8) on violin a Hungarian piece; Harwich resident pianist prodigy Ana Glig playing Liszt; guitar duo of John Williams and Greg Polanik performed Pergolesi and Farrauto.
We thank the Town of Sandwich, the Sandwich Arts Alliance, and the Sandwich Cultural Council for welcoming OMC's visit, and next month in June we return to our normal location at the UU Church in Brewster.
<< WHICH WAY DOTH THE WIND BLOW? >> Apparently away from the software synth patches of top 40s and into the tactile and organic cavities of flutes galore, a local trend we are quite enjoying. Clockwise and multi-generationally from upper left: Brewster's elementary teacher Jeannine Yuan on piano; Erica Klaiber and Kallie Poon flute duo; Cape Cod Academy's 7th grade Ursula Budd with house accompanist Ben Healy; Kathy Gernhardt and Norm Holus getting a nice handle on Handel.
OMC is all about connections and dialogues, so if you have ideas on additional venues and/or ways of further fostering cape musical connections, please reach out by responding to this email. Reach out (by responding to this email)! Connect! Dialogue!
<< THE CHOICE OF THE VOICE! >> With local elections brewing and July 4th around the corner, what better way to give ourselves a voice than simply to sing! From top: Dan Doughtertytraveled all the way from WOOSTER to serenade us; Jeanne Prendergast sang Schubert and Dan Powers some lovely Vaughn Williams.
All in all, our recent Sunday was quite a turnout. So to all: thanks again / please come again / please spread the word from valley to hilltop so our wonderful cape classical community can continue to evolve and intertwine on our roads less traveled.
