Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Chatham Concert Series Presents: Beethoven's "Archduke" Trio, Rescheduled to Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m.

The Chatham Concert Series will present pianist Harold Brown, cellist Julia Goudimova, and violinist Kevin Matheson for an afternoon of Beethoven’s music at 3:30p.m. on Sunday, March 12 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chatham.

Chatham Concert Series Presents Grieg & Beethoven, Saturday, Feb 4 at 3:30 p.m.

 

The Chatham Concert Series welcomes back Washington and Lee faculty, Anna Billias, piano and Julia Goudimova, cello on Saturday, February 4^th for a concert at 3:30pm at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Saturday at 3:30pm was chosen to accommodate the schedule of these highly sought after musicians to come and delight listeners with romantic selections from Grieg’s famous “Peer Gynt” and “Holberg Suite.” Violinist, Kevin Matheson, will join them to perform one of Beethoven’s most celebrated chamber works, the “Ghost Trio” and Grieg’s dramatic and lyrical Violin Sonata No. 3.  

The receptions provided by Chatham First continue this year, so be sure to stay afterwards to greet the performers and enjoy some treats.  

The Chatham Concert Series is sponsored by Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Arts, Appalachian Dream Inc., Chatham Hall, Davenport Energy, First Piedmont and La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast.   

A second performance of this program will take place the same day, Saturday, February 4 at 7:30pm at the renovated Schoolfield building at 917 West Main St. Danville, VA. This performance is free, but donations accepted for future programs. For more information, or to reserve a seat, Classical Concert in Schoolfield! Tickets, Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 7:30 PM | Eventbrite  or Schoolfield Presents 

Chatham Concert Series Presents Christmas Traditions, Sunday Dec.4 at 3 p.m.

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Chatham Concert Series Presents Bach 2 the Baroque, Sunday, October 9th at 3:30 p.m.

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Chatham Concert Series Announces Its 15th Season at Emmanuel

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Chatham Concert Series: An All American Program, Sunday, July 3rd at 3 p.m.

 

Chatham Concert Series Presents the Rainier Trio, March 18, 7 pm

This Friday, March 18^th at 7:00 p.m. the Rainier Trio will perform a program of lush and beautiful romantic era trios for violin, viola and piano by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Robert Fuchs and Ignaz Lachner. 

Chatham Concert Series: Christmas Favorites, Sunday Dec 5 at 3:30 p.m.

Soprano Leslie Mabe will join the Rainier Trio for an afternoon of selections from The Nutcracker, Sleigh Ride, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and O Holy Night as a fitting addition to the “Christmas in Chatham” celebrations on Sunday, December 5, at **3:30 p.m.** at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N. Main St. Chatham. The Rainier Trio is comprised of Kevin Matheson, violin, Bryan Matheson, viola and Brenda Wittwer, piano. 

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to support the concert series. Masks and social distancing are requested while inside the church. 

The Chatham Concert Series performances are sponsored by Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Arts, Chatham Hall, Davenport Energy, First Piedmont and La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast.  

 

Chatham Concert Series Kicks Off 14th Season with Harold Brown, Sunday October 24th at 3 pm

The Chatham Concert Series kicks off its 14^th season this Sunday, October 24 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chatham for a 3:00 p.m. concert with two of the most famous works written for violin and piano: Beethoven’s “Spring Sonata” and Brahms masterful “Sonata No. 3 in D Minor.” Internationally acclaimed pianist and Virginia native, Harold Brown will return to Chatham to perform with violinist Kevin Matheson. 

Mr. Brown has been heard throughout the United States, in Europe, Australia and South America, as well as on television and radio, in recital, in chamber music, and as a soloist with symphony orchestras. Mr. Brown has participated in numerous music festivals and has often appeared in master classes and lecture recitals. He has an extensive repertoire ranging from Bach to Messiaen and his performances of Ravel’s complete piano works have garnered high critical acclaim. 

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to support the performers. Masks and social distancing are requested while inside the church. 

The Chatham Concert Series is sponsored by Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Arts, Chatham Hall, Davenport Energy, First Piedmont and La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast.

Chatham Concert Series’ 14th Season Begins October 24th

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Internationally acclaimed pianist and Virginia native, Harold Brown will return to Chatham to perform with violinist Kevin Matheson on Sunday, October 24 at 3:00 p.m. The Chatham Concert Series will kick off its 14^th season at Emmanuel Episcopal Church with two of the most famous works written for violin and piano: Beethoven’s “Spring Sonata” and Brahms masterful “Sonata No. 3 in D Minor.”

Chatham Concert Series Returns to Emmanuel July 1st

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On Thursday, July 1 at 7pm, the Chatham Concert Series will kick off in-person concerts with a lively program featuring American composers performed by Kevin Matheson, violin and Judith Clark, piano.

The program includes Gershwin’s “Three Preludes” and “An American in Paris,” Copeland’s “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo and Joplin ragtime. Broadway songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and others will leave you with a spring in your step as you join fellow concert fans for the outdoor reception provided by Chatham First. 

Chatham Concert Series Cancels Concert Scheduled for April 3rd

Due to continuing efforts to reduce gatherings and travel so as to safeguard people and communities from the coronavirus epidemic, the Chatham Concert Series announces the cancellation of its concert previously scheduled for Friday, April 3, 2020 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

We greatly appreciate the patronage and support for the Concert Series in our community.

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The Chatham Concert Series performances are sponsored by Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Arts, Chatham Hall, Davenport Energy, First Piedmont and La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast.

Chatham Concert Series: Music for Cello and Piano, Sunday, March 1st at 4 pm

Come join us this Sunday, March 1st at **4:00 p.m.** at Emmanuel Episcopal Church to be enthralled by the duo “Anime and Grazia” performing music by Grieg and Sibelius.

Dr. Anna Billias was trained as a concert pianist at the Prokofiev State Academy of Music in Ukraine, performed as featured soloist with the school’s symphony orchestra and received her D.M.A. in piano performance from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia. She currently teaches at Washington and Lee University and for thirteen years was Director of Piano Studies and Collaborative Performance at Sweet Briar College. Dr. Billias has performed in England, France, Russia and Ukraine. In 2018 Dr. Billias collaborated with baritone Dr. Gregory Parker for a concert in Paris, France and in 2019 she performed concerts in Crimea, Russia, with the Renowned Artist of Ukraine, soprano Anna Bratus.

Julia Goudimova teaches cello at Washington and Lee, Southern Virginia, and Hollins Universities and is principal cellist of the University Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra. Julia has performed in Germany, France, Belarus, Moldova, South Korea, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Since moving to the United States, Julia has been involved in symphony orchestras and chamber music performances in Virginia, Washington D. C. and West Virginia. Julia was born in Moscow and began studying piano at the age of five and cello at the age of seven. She studied in Tiraspol College of Music, Belarus Academy of Music and participated in the International Cello Competition in Minsk. 

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to support the concert series. After the concert, mingle with fellow concert fans and the musicians while enjoying the delightful reception provided by Chatham First. 

Chatham Concert Series Presents the Roanoke Ballet Theatre and the Rainier Trio, Sunday, January 26, 3 pm, at Chatham Hall

The Chatham Concert Series brings ballet and live music together for the first time this Sunday, January 26 at 3:00pm in the VanVoorhis Hall at Chatham Hall. The Roanoke Ballet Theatre’s new choreography to Piazzolla’s famous tangos “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” brings them to life. Other favorites including Canon in D and The Entertainer will have a new look with dance while the Rainier Trio provides live music.

The Roanoke Ballet Theatre is a company of professional dancers from across the country, who have undergone years of extensive training and danced professionally with other companies. Their full performance schedule includes main stage shows, in-studio Black Box series, and traveling collaborations throughout Roanoke and surrounding communities. The company also provides an opportunity for the dancers to work alongside the staff and students of Roanoke Ballet Theatre’s Youth Ballet.

The Chatham Hall Dance Ensemble will take the stage for “Connections,” choreographed to Gabriel Faure’s famous Sicilienne by their instructor Donna Franklin.

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to support the concert series. Chatham Hall is catering a reception afterwards where the audience can meet the dancers and musicians after the performance.

VanVoorhis Hall is in a building connected to the main building. There will be signs out as well. Here is a link to the general map. (It is in the building North and to the right of the red marker on this map) https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chatham+Hall/@36.8263053,-79.3905512,18.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x884d555715e9375b:0xabf1ff783221d731!8m2!3d36.8263541!4d-79.3896572

Special thanks to Chatham Hall for collaborating with the Chatham Concert Series for this performance. Other sponsors are Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Arts, Chatham Hall, Davenport Energy, First Piedmont, La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast and Reid Street Gallery.

Additional concerts this spring are “Music for Cello and Piano” on Sunday, March 1st at 4:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. The duo “Anime and Grazia,” comprised of Washington and Lee University music faculty Julia Goudimova and Anna Billias, will perform Edward Grieg’s Sonata for Cello and Piano and other works by Scandinavian composers. 

The Rainier Trio will close the season on Friday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. with fun and familiar works including Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Joplin’s Elite Syncopations, Meditation from Thais and Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me.”

Chatham Concert Series: Christmas Favorites, Sunday, December 8th, 7:30 pm

Soprano Leslie Mabe will join the Rainier Trio for an evening of your favorite songs as a fitting addition to the Christmas in Chatham celebrations. Selections from The Nutcracker, Handel’s Messiah, Twas the Night before Christmas and O Holy Night will get you in the holiday spirit. A sing-along of carols will send you out with a song in your heart.

At Emmanuel Episcopal Church

The Chatham Concert Series Kicks Off Its 11th Season at Emmanuel - Friday, October 25 at 7:00 p.m. with Mozart’s Night Music and Schubert’s “Trout Quintet"

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Chatham Concert Series: Virtuoso Solos, Friday, March 8 at 7 pm

On Friday, March 8^th the Chatham Concert Series continues with an exciting program featuring pianist Judith Clark and Bryan, Kevin and Elizabeth Matheson.

Over the centuries, the greatest violinists wrote or arranged music to show off their talents and dazzle the audience. Jascha Heifetz adapted Rimsky-Korsakov’s famous “Flight of the Bumble Bee” and the Mexican serenade “Estrellita” for violin, Fritz Kreisler arranged deFalla’s “Spanish Dance,” and Pablo de Sarasate wrote “Zigeunerweisen” or “Gypsy Airs."

The twentieth century violist William Primrose transcribed Weber’s “Andante & Hungarian Rondo” and “Jamaican Rumba” by Arthur Benjamin to help increase the virtuoso viola repertoire. Other works on the program are Robert Schumann’s romantic “Fairy-Tale Pictures” for viola and piano and Bela Bartok’s ever popular “Romanian Folk Dances” for violin and piano. Judith Clark will perform Franz Liszt’s Grand Etude “La Campanella” based on Paganini’s famous violin piece.

Join fellow concert fans and the musicians to enjoy a glass of wine, chocolate truffles, mini fruit kabobs and marinated mozzarella and tomato skewers. The Chatham First sponsored receptions are a tradition not to miss!

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to support the concerts. Come Friday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N. Main St. in Chatham.

The Chatham Concert Series would like to thank all of the individual sponsors who have made this season possible! Mr. and Mrs. William Black, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore E. Bruning, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Richard Camp, Mr. and Mrs. John Collins, Mr. Rick Dixon, Capt. Cameron A. Gillespie, MD and Tomoko U. Gillespie, Dr. Peyton and Lucy Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Rogers.

The concert series is also sponsored by Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Arts, Chatham Hall, La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast, Reid Street Gallery, Callands Coffee and Brenda Brokaw music lessons.

 

Chatham Concert Series: Saturn String Quartet - Mozart, Dvorak & Gershwin, Sunday Jan 27, 3 pm

The Chatham Concert Series will continue its 10^th anniversary season this Sunday, January 27 at 3:00p.m. with the Saturn String Quartet, comprised of Bryan, Kevin and Elizabeth Matheson and Russian cellist Julia Goudimova. They will play Dvorak’s famous “American” Quartet, Gershwin’s “Lullaby for Strings,” the romantic “Nocturne” by Borodin and Mozart’s virtuosic “Divertimento for Strings.” The theme from the De Beers diamond commercial, “Palladio,” and some Chinese folk songs arranged for string quartet will transport you from the winter weather to faraway lands.

Chatham Concert Series: Christmas Traditions, Sunday, December 2 at 3 pm

Soprano Leslie Mabe will join the Rainier Trio for an afternoon of your favorite songs as a fitting addition to the Christmas in Chatham celebrations. Selections from The Nutcracker, Handel’s Messiah, Believe from the Polar Express, Gesu Bambino and O Holy Night will get you in the holiday spirit. A sing-along of carols will send you out with a song in your heart.

After the concert, mingle with fellow concert fans and the musicians while enjoying the delightful reception provided by Chatham First.

Sunday, December 2 at 3:00 p.m. –“Christmas Traditions” at Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Chatham Concert Series Presents Vivaldi & Piazzolla, Friday, October 5 at 7 pm

The Chatham Concert Series is pleased kick off its 10^th season with the Rainier Trio’s new program “Vivaldi and Piazzolla: The Four Seasons” on Friday, October 5, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N. Main St. Chatham

Guest violinist Elizabeth Matheson will join the Rainier Trio, comprised of Kevin and Bryan Matheson, violin and viola and Brenda Wittwer on piano.

The timeless music of Antonio Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons” will be paired with passionate tangos “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. You will also hear readings of the poems that inspired Vivaldi to write the first “programmatic music,” painting a picture with sound by imitating bird calls, thunder, insects and frigid winds.

 

After the concert, mingle with fellow concert fans and the musicians while enjoying the delightful reception provided by Chatham First.  These receptions have become a tradition not to be missed in Chatham!

Chatham Concert Series Announces Its 10th Season at Emmanuel

 The Chatham Concert Series is pleased to announce the dates for the tenth season of the series!

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Chatham Concert Series: The Classic Strings Duo, Sunday, Jan 28 at 3 pm

Join us this Sunday at 3pm for a concert of Mozart, Beethoven Dvorak and more! The Classic Strings Duo will be joined by Kevin’s violinist wife, Elizabeth Matheson for the famous “Terzetto” that Dvorak composed in just one week, January 1887. Also on the program are Beethoven’s Serenade for two violins and viola and Mozart’s first duo for violin and viola. Theme and Variations in Boogie and R&B, “Hebraique Elegie” by Amy Barlowe and a Japanese video game theme round out the program.

Reception following the performance provided by Chatham First to talk with the performers and fellow concert fans.

Chatham Concert Series Presents Holiday Favorites, Sunday, Dec 3, 7:30 pm

Sunday, December 3 at **7:30pm** Maestro David Stewart Wiley, conductor of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra will join Kevin and Bryan Matheson for a truly memorable Christmas program. Classic Christmas selections for piano and strings, plus Christmas stories and a new holiday sing-along sure to put you in the Yuletide spirit.

David Stewart Wiley, Pianist

Kevin Matheson, Violin

Bryan Matheson, Viola

Please join us at Emmanuel for this memorable program.

Chatham Concert Series Opens Sunday, October 1, at 3 pm

Sunday, October 1 at 3:00p.m. Celtic, Japanese & French Impressionist Selections performed by the Silver and Strings Quartet: Helen Rifas, harp; Julee Hickcox, flute; Kevin Matheson, violin; Bryan Matheson, viola.

The heavenly sounds of harp, joined by flute, violin and viola transport the listener to a different world with the famous “Claire de Lune” by Claude Debussy, “Flower Duet” by Delibes and “Barcarolle” from the Tales of Hoffmann. Other works on the program are Shenandoah, March of the Toreadors from Carmen, Japanese folk songs and Three Celtic Duos for Violin and Viola.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N Main Street, Chatham, VA

Admission by Donation for the Musicians

Chatham Concert Series Announces 2017-18 Season at Emmanuel

The Chatham Concert Series is pleased to announce the dates for the ninth season of the series!

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Chatham Concert Series - A Musical Trumpet Garden, Friday, March 31, 7 pm

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Chatham Concert Series presents the Saturn Piano Quartet, Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3 pm

The Chatham Concert Series is pleased to present the Saturn Piano Quartet this Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3:00pm at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham. Kevin Matheson, violin; Bryan Matheson, viola; Julia Goudimova, cello, and Judy Clark, piano, will play the great C Minor Quartet by Gabriel Fauré.  Considered one of Fauré’s finest early works, its dynamic rhythms and engaging melodies will delight music lovers. 

Opening the program will be the fourth premiere performance of Virginia Composer James Lego’s Piano Trio No. 1.   Lego is a former apprentice artist for Opera Roanoke and a composition graduate from the University of North Carolina.  The trio was composed especially for Kevin and Bryan Matheson and fully exploits the resources of both the string instruments and the piano.

Goudimova will perform two works for cello and piano: Song Without Words by Mendelssohn and Allegro Appasionato by Saint-Saens. You can hear them in a previous performance of the Faure: https://youtu.be/ZiTxO3HAUKM 

Local music student Layne Larson, of Danville, will perform Beethoven’s famous Für Elise on piano.

Please join fellow music lovers and the musicians afterwards for a reception provided by Chatham First.

Chatham Concert Series - Holiday Favorites: The Rainier Trio with Soprano Leslie Mabe, Sunday, December 4, 3 p.m.

As the grand finale of Christmas in Historic Chatham, the Rainier Trio with soprano Leslie Mabe present a program of Holiday Favorites.

The program includes new arrangements of “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “A Celtic Silent Night,” Tchaikovsky’s “Pax de deux” from Nutcracker, and favorites:  “O Holy Night,” “White Christmas,” “Ave Maria” and concludes with a sing-along of carols.

Join the musicians and fellow concert goers afterwards for a reception provided by Chatham First.

If you aren’t able to make this concert, you have two more opportunities to hear this enjoyable program in the area!

Thursday, December 8, 7:00 p.m. Reynolds Homestead, 463 Homestead Ln, Critz, VA 24082

Wednesday, December 14, 3:45 p.m. The Wednesday Club, Danville, VA

 

Chatham Concert Series Opening Night: "Brahms and Franck" - September 30 at 7 p.m.

Friday is opening night for the Chatham Concert Series' ninth season at Emmanuel Episcopal Church! 

7:00pm, Friday, September 30,

Internationally recognized Virginia pianist Harold Brown will come to perform with Kevin and Bryan Matheson in Brahms’ masterful "Horn Trio” Op. 40 and Cesar Franck's famous Violin Sonata. The concert will also feature young pianist Staley Lyle from Chatham and refreshments afterwards provided by Chatham First.

Thank you and I hope you can come!

Kevin Matheson, Artistic Director
Chatham Concert Series

Chatham Concert Series Announces 2016-17 Season at Emmanuel

 

The Chatham Concert Series is pleased to announce the ninth season for the series!

Chatham Concert Series - Antonin Dvorak: Quintet for Piano and Strings, Sunday, Feb 28, 3 pm

More Photos

The Chatham Concert Series will close the season this Sunday afternoon, February 28 at 3:00, with a beautiful program of Romantic music and song. The concert venue is Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chatham.

Featuring a quintet of some of Virginia’s finest musicians and a world-renowned tenor, this chamber music concert will be a real treat.

One of the best-loved chamber music compositions, Czech Romantic Composer Antonin Dvorak’s Quintet for Piano and Strings, will carry the weight of half the program.

Anchored by the piano of Judith Clark, Martin Irving and Kevin Matheson will play violin in the quintet, Bryan Matheson the viola, and Julia Goudimova the cello.

In a fortunate addition to the program, and balancing the instruments of the Dvorak quintet, famed tenor Robert Chafin will perform songs by the modern-era English Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams as well as French Romantic Composer, Ernest Chausson.

Chatham violin student Staley Lyle has been invited to play one piece, Jean-Baptiste Accolay’s Concerto in A minor.

Chatham First will host a post-concert reception allowing musicians and concert goers to visit in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The concert will be held at Emmanuel, 66 N. Main Street in Chatham. Admission is by donation for the musicians.

The Classic Strings Duo: Beethoven, Mozart and Sibelius - Friday, Jan 29, 7 pm

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Chatham Concert Series Announces 2015-16 Season at Emmanuel

The Chatham Concert Series is pleased to announce the eighth season for the series!

Chatham Concert Series Season Finale - March 15 at 3:00 p.m.

Chatham Concert Series: Baroque Masters - this Friday

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Chatham Concert Series Begins Today!

Kicking off the Chatham Concert Series’ seventh season, the Rainier Trio will play “Romantic Music and More!”  The program includes masterworks by Mozart, Schumann, Glinka and Mendelssohn. Following the concert, talk with performers and friends at the reception provided by Chatham First.

Romantic Music and More with the Rainier Trio

Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 North Main Street, Chatham

Admission is by donation at the door for the musicians

Chatham Concert Series Announces 2014-15 Season

 

Chatham Concert Series Presents Bach to Baroque with Vivaldi's Four Seasons

Chatham Concert Series Presents: Trios for Guitar and Strings, Feb 21th

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Clarinetist Alex Jones & Saturn String Quartet to Play in Chatham

 

By Susan Paynter

Christmas and New Year’s have passed but winter’s cold, dark days have not.  On January 19 the brightness and warmth of Mozart and Brahms will brighten winter’s monotony in Chatham.

The Chatham Concert Series returns from its holiday break with Alex Jones, principal clarinetist of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, and the Saturn String Quartet.  Jones and the string musicians will perform Mozart and Brahms Quintets for Clarinet & Strings.

“We wanted to bring symphonic music to Chatham,” said Chatham Concert Series Artistic Director Kevin Matheson.  “Naturally we’re limited in the number of performers we can bring, but these pieces offer a depth beyond the traditional chamber repertoire.  They have the feel of a symphonic concert.”

Composing his Quintet in A Major in 1789, Mozart beautifully blended styles he used for opera, concerto and string quartet.  Brahms, whose chamber music is unsurpassed, wrote Quintet in B Minor, considered one of his finest compositions, in 1891, or 102 years after the influential Mozart piece.

Alex Jones is looking forward to the concert.  “Hearing these quintets got me excited about learning the clarinet when I was in school, and I love seeing that excitement in our audiences,” he said.

Filling out the quintet with Jones’ clarinet will be the Saturn String Quartet: Kevin Matheson and Leon Kok on violin, the viola of Bryan Matheson and cello played by Kelley Mikkelsen, all of the Roanoke Symphony.

The concert will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N. Main Street in Chatham at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 19.  Admission is by donation for the artists.  For more information contact Kevin Matheson at [email protected] or 540-382-9624.

Chatham Concert Series - A Concert of Song: Broadway to opera, Nov 17, 3 pm

Chatham Concert Series: A Night at the Movies with the Rainier Trio, Oct. 4th

Please join the Chatham Concert Series to celebrate its sixth season with “A Night at the Movies” on Friday evening, October 4 at 7:00 pm.

So much of movie music has been based on the classical tradition. The Rainier Trio presents an evening of music featuring selections from Dr. Zhivago, Fiddler on the Roof, Schindler's List, Exodus, Chariots of Fire and much more. This will be a treat for the entire family!

Following the concert, Chatham First will provide a ChathaMooCa-catered reception.

A Night at the Movies with the Rainier Trio

7:00 p.m. Friday, October 4, 2013

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 North Main Street, Chatham

Admission is by donation for the artists.

Chatham Concert Series Announces 2013-2014 Schedule

Kevin Matheson, Artistic Director, announces the schedule

for the sixth season of the Chatham Concert Series

to be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church!

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Hall & Gallops Close Chatham Concert Season

By Susan Paynter

Wow.  Talk about a grand finale!  The April 5 Chatham Concert Series season finale, held at Emmanuel, was nothing short of an all-out love fest.

The concert-goers loved Ashley Hall’s charming engagement with the audience as she personally introduced each piece she played: relaying here a story from her own career, there a tale about the composer or a famous performer of the upcoming number.

More important, we were astounded by Hall’s virtuosity on the cornet.  Joe, who in his youth dabbled on the trumpet, kept whispering to me, “How does she do that?”

I couldn’t help but glance from time to time at a friend across the aisle who used to play brass in big bands.  He was mesmerized, smiling and shaking his head, and he leapt to his feet with applause after the final note before intermission.

But even those of us who’ve never blown a horn knew we were in the presence of something very special.  To say the applause was extended doesn’t do it justice: we were smitten!

Then there was Wayne Gallops on the piano.  What pizzazz.  His background in popular and classical music as well as jazz enabled him to match the temper and style of each piece of the varied program.  The two played wonderfully in concert and we were all astounded to hear this was their first performance together. 

Hall and Gallops showed their appreciation for each other in that way musicians do during an ovation.  You could tell it was anything but a de rigueur gesture.  They were genuinely delighted with one another.

And with us.  They say there’s nothing a musician values more than an appreciative audience and we certainly gave them that, to their obvious pleasure.

Hall selected a diverse program, designed to display the many moods and colors the cornet is capable of evoking and representing composers of the 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st centuries from the U.S., the U.K, and Europe.

Each piece had its charm, but if I had to bet on the audience favorites I’d put my money on Jules Levy’s “Grand Russian Fantasia” and Jean-Baptiste Arban’s variations on “Le Carnaval de Venise.”  Both were written to show what the cornet is capable of doing and it was thrilling to hear what that instrument, on the lips and in the hands of a master like Hall, can do.

Chatham Concert Series Finale Friday, April 5th at 7 pm - A Trumpeter's Holiday

Trumpeter Ashley Hall and pianist Dr. R. Wayne Gallops will present a fun and engaging evening of music written for the cornet, which was one of the primary forms of entertainment in America in the early twentieth century.

Cornet soloists like Jules Levy and Herbert L. Clarke, were the pop stars of the day, drawing huge crowds of people to witness their mind-boggling virtuosity, technique and artistry.  This program will consist of colorful and virtuosic works for the cornet from the United States, France and England and will explore the variety of colors that the cornet is capable of producing. 

Ashley is originally from Wytheville, Virginia, is the principal trumpeter of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and is an internationally recognized trumpet soloist. Dr. R. Wayne Gallops serves as Director of Bands and Music Education at Radford University and has recorded with numerous classical / jazz ensembles and artists.

7:00 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2013

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 North Main Street, Chatham

Chatham Concert Series Continues March 2 with a Recital by Kathleen O'Hare

The Chatham Concert Series Presents

 

A Piano Recital
featuring
Kathleen Hurt O'Hare

 

 

Music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin & Granados

 

Saturday, March 2nd at 7:00 pm

 Emmanuel Episcopal Church
66 N. Main St.
Chatham, VA

directions

Admission by Donation for the Artist
Kevin Matheson, Artistic Director [email protected]

January 11th Concert a Big Draw at Emmanuel

Kevin & Bryan Matheson, Helen Rifas at rehearsal

(More photos above right under Photo Galleries)

By Susan Paynter

On Friday evening, January 11, Emmanuel drew a large crowd from around the county for Music for Flute, Harp and Strings: Celtic to French Impressionism, the second of five chamber music concerts in the Chatham Concert Series.

The evening featured Helen Rifas, principal harpist of the Greensboro Symphony and Flutist Julee Hickcox of the Roanoke Symphony along with the Classic Strings Duo of the Matheson brothers: Kevin on violin and Bryan on viola.

In a concert series tradition, one piece was performed by a young music student.  This evening’s young artist was Monifa Williams of Danville.  Ms Williams is a music student at Old Dominion University and play’s in the university’s wind ensemble and symphony orchestra.

Harpist Rifas alternated between a concert harp and a folk harp.  The first had a set of pedals; the second was equipped with keys that required setting in.  She began the program with traditional solo Celtic pieces and was later joined by Flutist Hickcox for the enduring favorites “I Saw Three Ships” and “Danny Boy.”

Before intermission the two were joined by Bryan Matheson and his viola for the three-movement Debussy “Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp.”  The light and lyrical French Impressionist sonata reflected the unusual Spring-like weather outside.

Lighten the Dark Days of Winter : The Chatham Concert Series Presents Music for Flute, Harp and Strings

The Chatham Concert Series Presents

Music for Flute, Harp and Strings:

Celtic to French Impressionism

Friday, 11 January, 7 p.m. at Emmanuel

Celtic Harp concert this Friday

Join us this Friday (January 11) for the Chatham Concert Series’ next event, “Celtic to French Impressionism: Music for Flute, Harp and Strings”. The musicians are Roanoke Symphony Flutist Julee Hickcox, Greensboro and Winston-Salem Symphony Principal Harpist Helen Rifas and Kevin and Bryan Matheson of the Classic Strings Duo. 

Celtic harp and flute duets set the stage for the beautiful Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp by Claude Debussy, the first of its kind. The program continues with Two Interludes by Jacques Ibert for flute, violin and harp, and C. P. E. Hoffman’s quartet for harp, flute, violin and viola. The program will conclude with Beethoven’s famous Serenade for flute, violin and viola.

A special treat will be young flutist Monifa Williams, from Danville.

The concert begins at 7:00 p. m. and is held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 North Main Street, Chatham. Admission is by donation for the musicians.

Chatham Concert Series Opens Fifth Season at Emmanuel

By Susan Paynter

On Saturday evening, November 17, Emmanuel hosted the fifth season opener of the Chatham Concert Series and post-concert reception.   Playing to a house of about 75, the ever-popular Rainier Trio and returning Clarinetist Alex Jones presented a program of Romantic European and Contemporary American chamber music.

Making up the Rainier Trio are the series’ Artistic Director Kevin Matheson on violin, his brother Bryan Matheson on viola and Brenda Wittwer on piano.  Alex Jones plays first clarinet for the Pittsburgh Philharmonic.

The foursome began and ended the program with romantic masterpieces. A trio by German composer Carl Reinecke began the program.  The final piece was a quartet by Viennese composer Walter Rabl: his Opus 1.  Interestingly, the Reinecke trio was written in the composer’s 79^th year, and the Rabl composition (the opus number is a hint) was written at the beginning of Rabl’s career.  While one was a veteran and the other a novice, both composers were writing at peak performance.

Peak performance is also what the musicians brought to the music.  The Matheson brothers are always a delight.  Both are top performers technically and artistically, but to watch them is to see the differences: Bryan plays in a straightforward, matter-of-fact style and Kevin in a more emotive fashion.  Differing styles aside, when you close your eyes their strings marry so beautifully, their combined sound is so rich, strong and complementary that it seems to spring from a single source.

Sandwiched between the Europeans was the music of two contemporary American composers: Peter Schickele and Rick Sowash.  This writer’s preference was for the less complicated more soulful Sowash.  It was his Daweswood Suite, written while Sowash was composer in residence at Ohio’s Daweswood Arboretum.  Inspired by the budding, blossoming and bearing of the trees there, Sowash wrote this lovely meditation on the endless cycles of life.

The musicians performed beautifully on both.  The Schickele may have been more demanding, and Jones, Wittwer and Kevin Matheson managed it with great skill.  The Sowash seemed (undoubtedly deceptively) to simply flow organically from the four instruments of the Matheson brothers, Wittwer and Jones.

Brenda Wittwer must be the other musicians’ dream pianist.  She plays with grace and precision and -- though capable of great flourish -- she never upstages.  She plays in concert with the other artists.

This was a return engagement for Alex Jones as well.  He was back by popular demand, and there’s no surprise there.  Does any instrument exceed the clarinet for versatility of mood?  With Jones’ skill (and lung capacity!) and with this particular program, attendees had a chance to hear this wind instrument put through its emotional paces. 

The Chatham Concert Series has an important and charming tradition.  As often as possible, a young music student is invited to perform one piece.  It’s not only valuable performance experience for the student; it’s a gift to the future of fine art music in Southside Virginia.

The student performer this evening was Chatham resident Trevor Percario, 11.  Trevor attends Epiphany School and is a piano student of Susan Barrett via Chatham Arts.  He played J.S. Bach’s Minuet in G Major and did an admirable job.  Bravo, Trevor!

After the concert, attendees enjoyed a reception in the social hall.  Music lovers were able to chat with the musicians, friends and neighbors over drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Emmanuel Church is pleased to serve, along with Chatham First, as venue and facilitator of the Chatham Concert Series.

The next concert will be held on Friday evening, January 11.  The program will be “Music for Flute, Harp and Strings: Celtic to French Impressionism,” featuring Roanoke Symphony Flutist Julie Hickcox and Greensboro Symphony Principal Harpist Helen Rifas.  Also performing: the Matheson brothers’ Classic Strings Duo.