The HSO principal brass quintet, Larry Black and Chris Imhoff on Trumpet, Anneka Zuehlke-King on Horn, Mark Britt on Trombone and Michael Taylor on Tuba continues our series celebrating Simone, Sandburg, and the American symphony.  In a soulful nocturne under the trees of the Carl Sandburg Home amphitheater in Flat Rock, the musicians will be bringing to life a song- and dance-inspired musical portrait of the American spirit.  

The program opens with the world premiere of a dance-flavored fanfare by composer John Muehleisen, winner of a 2020 American Prize for “A Kipling Passion.”  Muehleisen is a master of expressive text painting, and two of his most beautiful and elegant choral settings will be featured on the first half of the program, both in HSO-commissioned new arrangements for brass quintet.  “Nocturne” is a setting of Carl Sandburg’s hypnotically pastoral poem “Peace, Night, Sleep.” And, “Portrait” is an iridescent elaboration on a poem of the enigmatic American poet Gertrude Stein, a portrait of the artist Henry Phaelan Gibb.

The concert also features a celebration of the American spiritual and Jazz more generally.  Highlights include Crys Armbrust’s “Fanfare for Nina,” which was written for the dedication of the Nina Simone sculpture in her Tryon, NC birthplace.  Simone herself recorded several versions of the spiritual “Take Me to the Water,” which is the basis of a new arrangement of the tune by Keelan Lovvorn.  Leonard Bernstein’s “Dance Suite for Brass Quintet,” which consists of five portraits of icons of American dance which was the legendary composer’s final work.  The concert will conclude with several rollocking tunes straight out of the birthplace of Jazz in New Orleans. 

Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased online by following our link below. Ice cream refreshments will be available for purchase before the performance – our friends at Breedlove Deli will have an ice cream truck on site.

While attending the concert, please maintain social distancing from people not in your group.
Please plan to join us for what promises to be a lovely evening with The Friends. Follow The Friends of Carl Sandburg on Facebook and Instagram for updates on this and all our programs.

For more information and to purchase tickets:
https://friendsofcarlsandburg.org/events