I don’t know if my love for music is hereditary or not, but I do think it’s contagious. I had quite a few people in my family that were musicians. Two second cousins that were piano teachers, and uncle who sang with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and also played a mean Hammond B3 organ, as well as my grandmother, who sang with a few concert choirs in Chicago as well. My mother was also involved in the music industry as the publicist for the Chicago Symphony, Denver Lyric Opera, Colorado Philharmonic and various international classical soloists. So, there was always music in my house, outside my house and pretty much surrounding me 24/7.
I’m not sure if I just caught the bug or it’s some kind of genetic condition, but I do know that hearing music and being around folks who enjoy performing it brings a smile to most people’s faces. And as far as that goes, the rule seems to be “the more, the merrier.”
With that in mind, we do have a couple of larger ensembles here in Golden that coincidentally will both be having their Spring concerts over the weekend. The first one is the Golden Concert Choir, which will present “Songs of Earth and Sky” on May 6. It’s going to be held at the Calvary Episcopal Church, located at 1320 Arapahoe St. here in Golden.
This group was founded back in October 2000 and since then has had an adult membership ranging from 50 to 70 singers. Their mission is to be a musical resource for the community and provide high-quality musical performances that enrich and entertain our entire community. They also provide voice training and a terrific choral experience for singers of all levels.
The concert starts at 4 p.m., with the doors opening at 3 p.m. Admission is free, but you might want to plan on getting there a little early because there will be a silent auction to fundraise a bit and there are quite a few good things you might want to take a look at to make a few bids on. That’s how they can keep offering free concerts and pay for the materials and facilities they need to exist. For more information, visit www.goldenconcertchoir.org.
On the following afternoon, May 7, The Jefferson Symphony Orchestra will be holding its 70th Season Finale Concert at the Green Center on the Colorado School of Mines campus. It starts at 3 p.m.
This one will be featuring Candidate Conductor Cynthia Katsarelis, who is currently the Music Director and Conductor of Boulder’s Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra. Reviews of her work have mentioned that she possesses a “creative imagination” and that she achieves “ultimate performance(s)” which are “models of precision and spirit”. OK, that sounds like a winner to me.
The show will also feature Violinist Alex Gonzalez as a guest soloist. As a former member of the New World Symphony, he regularly served as concertmaster to Michael Tilson Thomas and other distinguished guests. He’ll be performing the Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto, which is spectacular and actually one of my favorites.
But that’s not the only spectacular piece of music they will be performing. The concert starts with Conga del Fuego Nuevo. This orchestral dance, a conga of fire, has loads of color, character, and flair. Energetic dance rhythms and a fiery percussion section create a really dramatic atmosphere to kick off the show.
And the finale will be Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, which he considered to be his “most excellent symphony.” I guess that kind of says all you need to know about that one.
Tickets run $27 for Adults, $22 for Seniors, $10 for Students (12-17) and $5 for Children (4-11). You can get them in advance as well as find out more information by heading to their website at www.jeffsymphony.org.
So, with all that happening this weekend, you have no excuse not to be singing or humming or dancing or just waving your arms in the air. And who knows? You might be inspired to audition and join one of these great ensembles for next season’s concerts!
John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.
