I have a lot of local music-making planned for the winter and spring, and wanted to keep you all updated, in case you are interested in hearing me play outside the context of worship at Hope Church.
March will be a busy month for me. I have been excitedly planning my annual spring Hope Church concert, for Sunday afternoon, March 22 at 3pm. This will be an unusual concert, in that I will be playing exclusively music for organ and other instruments, and I’ve included some combinations one doesn’t hear all the time, as well as more traditional combinations. Amanda Dykhouse (concertmistress of the Holland Symphony) will be playing violin, Sarah Southard (professor at Hope College) will be playing oboe/ english horn, Julie Sooy (professor at Hope College, and director of the West MI Flute Orchestra) will be playing flute, Brendan Bohnhorst (Holland Symphony) will be playing tuba, and Matt Beck (Calvin College and West Michigan Symphony) will be playing marimba. In case you were wondering, we will NOT all be playing one piece together! There will be pieces from various countries and eras for organ and single instruments.
The part I’m most excited about is the world premiere of a piece written by my friend and church music colleague at Grace Episcopal, Steve Jenkins. It’s a piece for marimba and organ, which was composed over 10 years ago for a commission, but then for various reasons never performed. Steve’s own unique musical voice is obvious in the music, with influences from jazz, modern composers like Steve Reich, as well as liturgical church music and organ literature throughout the centuries. I’m very excited to perform it, and look forward to sharing it with you! And how often does one hear music for marimba and organ?
As well in March, I’ve been ask to be a part of the Grand Rapids Bach Festival. Players from the GR Symphony will be playing with a few organists at the Calvin College chapel, playing some wonderful music for organ and orchestra, on Monday, March 16 at 8pm.
On Sunday, March 15 at 3pm at First Reformed, the local community choir for which I accompany, the Holland Chorale, will be doing excerpts from one of our past concerts, as a free public concert.
And Sunday, April 19 at 3pm at First Reformed, I will be playing on the popular local series Free @ Three, with Holland French Horn player Greg Bassett, no stranger to Hope Church. This is the program that was snowed out last January (and this year, we didn’t volunteer for a winter date!) Hope to see you at one of these local events!
My winter and spring will be mostly spent here in Holland, but I do have one trip planned. I will be flying to Chattanooga, TN to play at the Episcopal Cathedral there, on a wonderful organ built in a Baroque, northern European style. I will then head to Birmingham, AL, to give a lecture at Birmingham-Southern College, play a noontime recital at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, and see an old college friend who lives there with her family.
If you are ever interested in reading more about what I’ve done or am doing, I have a website, with pictures from my trips and concerts on a blog there, as well as info on upcoming recitals. http://rhonda.edgington.info
~Rhonda Edgington, Associate Director of Music and Organist