Throughout Piedmont and Appalachians there have existed for centuries shared musical traditions that were equally popular among rural blacks and whites. This program explores the roots and connections of these regional rural music and dance traditions as expressed in the artistry of contemporary masters of tradition.
To kick off its 50th anniversary season, the Reading Pops Orchestra will collaborate with The Four Freshmen, which promises to be a must-see concert.
San Jose Taiko has been mesmerizing audiences since 1973 with the powerful, spellbinding, and propulsive sounds of the taiko. Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming, SJT performers express the beauty and harmony of the human spirit through the voice of the taiko as they create new dimensions in Asian American movement and music.
“A Magical Grassical Christmas” with The DePue Brothers Band, is a non-stop celebration of traditional holiday favorites along with original tunes that will have toes tapping, hearts warmed, and spirits filled with holiday joy. This Bluegrass meets rock, meets renaissance, meets jazz, meets classical, of which the sum of all parts equals a kaleidoscope of holiday fun
Nobuntu, the female a capella quintet from Zimbabwe, has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements.
Adapted from the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, John Barrymore takes on the double role of the kindly doctor and his horrible alter ego.
Hailing from Counties Waterford, Cork, Dublin and Donegal in Ireland, Danú is one of the leading traditional Irish ensembles of today. The band formed in 1995 as part of Irelands delegation to Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival in Brittany, France (an annual event that is the biggest gathering of celtic nations in the world). For over 2 decades Danú's virtuosi players on flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion, bouzouki, and vocals (Irish and English) have delighted audiences worldwide.
When the Quebe Sisters from Texas take a stage, and the triple-threat fiddle champions start playing and singing in multi-part close harmony, audiences are usually transfixed, then blown away. It’s because the trio’s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana, all the time, respectful of the artists that inspired them the most.
