Gayle Williams, Correspondent
Sarasota Orchestra musicians are handling the adversity and challenges of the pandemic with aplomb. Thursday’s debut of “Serioso,” the latest of their live concerts in Holley Hall, showed off serious talent and considerable ensemble strength in three widely diverse compositions, the last of which knocked our socks off.
Violinist Christopher Takeda took the lead in the absence of a conductor and the results were rock solid in Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in F Major, Op. 6 No. 12. The ensemble of 11 string musicians, joined by Jonathan Spivey on harpsichord, confidently captured Corelli’s Baroque style and spirit.
EnsembleNEWSRQ served as our guide once again in the adventures with new music in Monday’s program “Solitude and Suffrage,” performed live online from the First Congregational Church and available for an extended period on the group’s website ensrq.org.
While I miss the live performance and communal experience of concerts, there are some surprise benefits to video performances, chief among them the opportunity to listen a second time to catch what you might have missed. That is invaluable for the brash new music in enSRQ programs. Instead of hearing familiar favorites and cozy sounds, at times we are confronted by uncomfortable dissonances and strange noises.
Tampa pastor âactually lived what he preachedâ
Bishop Matthew Williams grew Brown Memorial Church of God in Christ from 25 people to more than 2,000.
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Bishop Matthew Williams held several positions at Tampa s Brown Memorial Church of God in Christ, including deacon, pastor and bishop. He was one of 12 bishops in the nationwide Church of God in Christ s general board. [ Courtesy Deniece Williams ]
Updated Jan. 18
Godâs word found Bishop Matthew Williams at the dinner table, the mall, while watching a movie. He didnât have to work on his message for the message to work on him.
âThatâll preach,â heâd say.
Sarasota Orchestra musicians continue to deliver the bright light and healing of live classical music in their most recent series at Holley Hall titled “Inspirations.” Despite the distanced seating and required face masks, these concerts are a window to an earlier time of normal life when the communal enjoyment of live performances was taken for granted.
Although ushers attend to the strict adherence of safety measures and there is little to no interaction among separate parties attending the concert, the music does its job well by taking us to another place and time.
The shortened concert featured only two of the three works originally scheduled, but Antonin Dvorak’s Nocturne in B Major, Op. 40 and Josef Suk’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 6, were beautifully paired and performed. (Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s “Entr’Acte” was dropped from the program at the last minute because of what the orchestra said was “unexpected circumstances.”)
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