top: "Remembrance of Things Past" by Morris Graves; photo of Morris Graves.

Free HSU Music Concert Honoring Morris Graves

To help celebrate the centennial year of Humboldt artist Morris Graves, nine HSU Music Department faculty and staff will join in a free afternoon concert on Saturday November 20, in the building that bears his name: the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka.

Beginning at 2 pm, the concert includes solo performances by guitarist Nicholas Lambson and pianist Robin Miller. Pianists Daniela Mineva and John Chernoff play a selection by Brahms; Gilbert Cline on trumpet joins Mineva for a sonata by the Italian Baroque composer Pietro Baldassare.

Especially appropriate for performance in an art museum is “Triptych” by contemporary composer Robert Sirota, who created this work in tandem with a painting of the same name by Deborah Patterson. The string quartet of Cindy Moyer (violin), Karen Davy (violin), Sherry Hanson (viola) and David Davis (cello) plays all three movements, which commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

This free concert is on Saturday, November 20 at 2 pm in the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka. This HSU Music Department event is held in conjunction with the Humboldt Arts Council. A reception for the public follows the concert.

Media: TriCity Weekly, Humboldt Beacon

Morris Graves Concert: The Program

1.Suite Venezolano by Antonio Lauro
I Registro
II Danza Negra
III Cancion
IV Vals
Nicholas Lambson, guitar

2.Triptych by Robert Sirota
Desecration
Lamentation
Prayer

Cindy Moyer, violin
Karen Davy, violin
Sherry Hanson, viola
David Davis, cello

3. Prelude "Ondine" by C. Debussy

Robin Miller, piano

4.Symphony #2 second movement, transcription for four hands by J. Brahms

John Chernoff, Daniela Mineva: piano.

5. Sonata in F #1 for Trumpet and Piano by Pietro Baldassare

Gil Cline: trumpet, Daniela Mineva: piano

Humboldt Bay Brass Band—Plus 50 Vuvuzelas—Honors World Cup and Veterans Day

Humboldt Bay Brass Band concerts are known for adding audience fun to the musical menu. On November 13 in Fulkerson Hall the prime candidate is “Groovuzela,” an original piece that features some 50 vuvuzelas—the instrument that millions around the world learned about during this year’s World Cup.

“What can I say?” said HBBB director Dr. Gilbert Cline. “This is about the only time in a century that a brass instrument has gotten such public attention. So we had to do this.” The piece will feature jazz solos by Branden Lewis and George Epperson, as well as all the vuvuzelas the HSU bookstore could find. “However, it will not be nearly as loud as the World Cup!” Cline promises.

In addition to this World Cup tribute, HBBB honors Veterans Day, with an original arrangement of “American Patrol,” a nineteenth century tune that Glenn Miller turned into a World War II swing hit. The theme continues with “The Liberty Bell” by John Philip Sousa, a battle of the timpanis in the sixteenth century piece “Die Schlacht,” and a somber chorale commemorating December 7, 1941.

After what Cline describes as the “fantastic crescendos” of Rossini’s “Overture to the Barber of Seville,” HBBB plays its major work of the evening, the three-movement “Pageantry” by twentieth century English composer Herbert Howells.

The band also presents another Cline composition, “Four Dot Flourish,” the second work in a series that began with his tribute to San Francisco columnist Herb Caen, “Three Dot Fanfare.” It is included on the Humboldt Bay Brass Band CD, which is on sale at the concert to help defray travel costs to the Northwest Brass Band Festival in Seattle in January.

Another tradition of these concerts is the return of a vintage instrument to active playing. This year it’s an 1895 tuba that once belonged to Humboldt County Supervisor Len Yocum, brought back from its Missouri exile. “I now have a half dozen of these nineteenth century instruments,” Cline said. “When playing them I feel we’re bringing them back to life. How cool is it to play an instrument 115 years old which still sounds great?”

Humboldt Bay Brass plays on Saturday November 13 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Directed by Gilbert Cline and produced by the HSU Music Department.

Media: Humboldt State Now, Tri-City Weekly, Humboldt Beacon

Get It Wet Quartet: Dan Fair, Charles Welty, Thatcher Holvick-Norton and Branden Lewis.

From Miles to a Space Oddity: Jazz Combos Groove

Three all-star HSU jazz combos perform classics and original tunes in their fall concert at Fulkerson Recital Hall on Friday November 12.

The Get It Wet Quartet plays “Four” by Miles Davis, the early '60s pop hit "Our Day Will Come" plus a medley of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and "Haitian Fight Song” by Charles Mingus." The players are Branden Lewis on trumpet, Dan Fair on guitar, Charles Welty on bass and Thatcher Holvick-Norton on drums.

Sam Roberts and His Silky Woots is a quintet of Sky Miller on tenor sax, Ari Davie on trumpet, Aber Miller on piano, Sam Roberts on bass and John Thomas on drums. They feature two tunes by their pianist Miller: "A Little Potato Music" and "Waltz for Mulligan." They also play "So Long Eric" by Charles Mingus, David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Herbie Hancock's "Driftin'."

The Monday Quintet is Danny Gaon on bassoon and alto sax, Jordan Rykert on guitar, Cody Callahan on piano, Tyler Plass on bass and Avetis Chalaganyan on drums. Their set includes Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant", Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" and Kenny Garrett's "Beyond The Wall."

Members of the jazz combos are chosen by audition and each combo develops its own style and repertoire of tunes.

HSU Jazz Combos perform on Friday November 12 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Directed by Dan Aldag and produced by the HSU Music Department.

Media: Humboldt State Now, Humboldt Beacon

It’s Not Over Until Red Riding Hood Sings: Opera Workshop Presents Operatic Fairy Tales


Pinocchio sings Mozart, Jack and the Giant do Gilbert and Sullivan, and the evening’s not over until Little Red Riding Hood sings Offenbach: It’s the HSU Opera Workshop performing four classic fairy tales using music by operatic greats.

“It’s a fun and education romp through the realm of opera and a new angle on familiar fairy tales,” said Opera Workshop director Elisabeth Harrington. “Nothing serious here!”

The show will be performed in Fulkerson Recital Hall twice: at 8 PM on Friday (November 5) but at the child-friendly time of 6 PM on Saturday.

Opera singer and director John Davies put together music from his favorite operas with fairy tale scenes, primarily for children but with a history of delighting audiences of all ages since they were first performed in 1982. The Opera Workshop is doing shorter versions of Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red’s Most Unusual Day.

“The text is all in English, and dialogue has been added to keep the story moving,” Harrington said. “Our singers are having fun with it, adding their own vocal sounds.”

Thirteen students will act out the tales, and sing arias, duets, trios and ensemble numbers. Former HSU Music student Christopher Hatcher directs Pinocchio, student Danielle Van De Wetering directs “Little Red,” and Harrington directs Jack and the Beanstalk and Three Little Pigs. Pianist John Chernoff accompanies throughout.

Opera Workshop members will wear costumes of their own invention but with a mobile set built by HSU Theatre, Film & Dance MFA students Elizabeth Uhazy and Rachel Parti.

Though the fairy tales are familiar to everyone, audience members who know the opera repertoire will find another level of fun not only in the music but the opera parodies. For example, the Big Bad Wolf goes to dinner with the Three Little Pigs in a scene spoofing Mozart’s Don Giovanni. “It’s a wonderful introduction to the world of opera,” Harrington said, “both for the complete novice and the advanced university student.”

After the two weekend performances at HSU, the Opera Workshop will take the show on the road to entertain high school and middle school students in Sacramento and Redding.

HSU Opera Workshop performs on Friday November 5 at 8 pm and a child-friendly 6 pm on Saturday November 6, in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 children/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Opera Workshop is directed by Elisabeth Harrington, and produced by HSU Music Department.

Media: Humboldt State Now, Humboldt Beacon.

Members of the fall 2010 HSU Opera Workshop

Opera Workshop: Program

From Opera Tales by John Davies
(note: not necessarily performance order)

Three Little Pigs
based on scenes from operas by Mozart
with music from Mozart's Don Giovani and Cosi Fan Tutte
Directed by Elisabeth Harrington

Pinocchio
From the story by Carlo Collodi, based on scenes from operas by W.A. Mozart, G. Donizetti, J. Offenbach, and G.B. Pergolesi.
with music from Mozart’s Die Entfuehrung Aus Dem Serail and Offenbach’s: The Tales of Hoffmann.
Directed by Christopher Hatcher

Jack & the Beanstalk
based on scenes from the operettas of Sir Arthur Sullivan
with music from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, and H.M.S. Pinafore.
Directed by Elisabeth Harrington

Little Red's Most Unusual Day
An operatic version of the story of Little Red Riding Hood based on scenes from operas by J. Offenbach and G. Rossini
with music from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann and La Vie Parisienne.
Directed by Danielle Van de Wetering.