A Vinaccesi Weekend

In the ever-so-infrequent land of my occasional blog, it's time for yet another quick and last-minute  announcement...for my Baroque group, the Vinaccesi Ensemble.  Our June series is in full swing, which in this case means concerts in Berkeley, Santa Rosa, and SF, plus a CD release celebration.  Here's the low down....

After our much-loved archlute player, Sarge Gerbode, decided to focus on the revisions to a new edition of his book on metapsychology, Beyond Psychology, we are thrilled to welcome a new and fabulous plucked instrument player (say that five times fast if you can), Adam Cockerham, who will be playing theorbo and Baroque guitar in our June concerts.   The rest of the group is the same as before: Kindra Scharich, mezzo, Jonathan Smucker, tenor, Kirk Eichelberger, bass, Hallie Pridham on Baroque cello, Susie Fong on harpsichord, et moi.  Welcome, Adam!

Adam recently earned his Master's degree from the SFCM, where he won the concerto competition with the Vivaldi Lute Concerto.  You can hear him play the slow movement from it this weekend.

Curious about the rest of the program? There's more Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Monteverdi, Strozzi and more... Check it out here.

And the schedule?

Voices of Venice, Saturday, June 1 8 p.m., Trinity Chamber Concerts, 2320 Dana St., Berkeley $15/10
Post-concert, come and join us for an hour of celebrating our new CD at the Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft, Berkeley.  Food, beverages, CDs for signing and sale...should be fun ;)!

Voices of Venice, Sunday, June 2, 3:30 p.m., Creative Arts Series, 303 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa, $15.
Catch a podcast of our interview with the knowledgeable Charles Sepos on KRCB in Santa Rosa, on his program "Curtain Call" last week here.

And if only San Francisco will do for you, we'll be performing a shortened version of the program on Tuesday, June 11 at 12:30 p.m., at Noontime Concerts, a great series at Old St. Mary's Cathedral, 660 California St.

Hope one of those will work for my ever-patient blog readers who are in the region by the Bay.

What I'm reading: Vigilant by James Alan Gardner, sci fi.  This is a sequel to his Expendable and an interesting read. Also the second book by Andrea Camilleri in his popular and beautifully-written Inspector Montalbano (Sicilian) mystery detective series (translated by Stephen Sartarelli).

What I'm listening to: Are you kidding?  I can't get the music for this weekend's concerts out of my head!
What I'm studying: ditto. :)

BFX 10--the 10th Berkeley Early Music Exhibition and Fringe Festival

After a short break-let, I'm on to the BFX, as promised...

June 6--tomorrow--is the start of BFX 10. With seven "mainstage" performances, loads (over 50) of Fringe concerts, and lectures/ demonstrations, BFX is an event-packed early music week that runs through June 13.

More a local affair than in previous years, the Early Music Festival still has much to interest attendees. You can check it out at the Berkeley Festival Blog, SFEMS (San Francisco Early Music Society) website, SFEMS (SF Early Music Society) website or even at the Festival's Facebook page.

My own contribution is a little lunchtime concert of Baroque Venetian music tomorrow as part of the Fringe (shameless plug moment coming up) at Trinity Chapel: June 7, 1 p.m., with the Vinaccesi Ensemble--tenor Jonathan Smucker and a wonderful continuo band--Amy Brodo, Baroque cello, Jonathan Davis, harpsichord, and Sarge Gerbode, archlute.

Entitled Involto il tristo core, the program festures well-known duets by Monteverdi, less-known gems by Strozzi, Caldara, and Castello, and unknown but quirkily wonderful cantatas by Vinaccesi.


WHERE: Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana (betweeen Bancroft and Durant), Berkeley
WHAT: Involto il tristo core: Venetian Cantatas, Solos, & Duets
Tickets: $15 general, $10 sfems, students, seniors & disabled. No one turned away for lack of funds.

In other news, I've finished up reading and judging all the books sent me for the Sharp Writ Book Contest (originally associated with Mensa's SIGs, but now spun-off). The Finalists and winners are due to be announced in the next month or so. This is leaving me the opportunity to do some summer reading, such as the below...


What I'm reading: Just started "Have Mercy"
What I'm working on: see this post, plus two chamber pieces for Cabaret Opera's Tenth Festival of New Music coming up later in June, X in the Heart of Europe and America. More on this after BFX.
What I'm listening to: Have to decide which BFX concerts to go to--while in the midst of other rehearsals...so much good music and so little time...