Concert Series performances at Life Church this year
Published Saturday, August 30, 2008
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April 19 — New Reformation Band — Has been performing at jazz festivals, cruise ships, concert halls, supper clubs and other venues for 36 years. They play traditional Dixieland, ragtime, blues, swing and jazz. Featuring the founding Opperman Brothers, and five talented sidemen, these seven friendly fellows provide a toe-tapping entertainment experience.
Members of the Fergus Falls Concert Association were presented a unique challenge this year when notified that the Middle School auditorium would be unavailable for its concert series because of construction work scheduled at the school this winter.
Among the options was to hold the series in the high school gym, but that suggestion was met with “groans and disappointment,” according to Association President, Jeanne Jensen, adding scheduling conflicts dropped the site off the list. When Life Church was mentioned, it seemed a perfect temporary home.
“Life Church is really a very nice space; I think people will be pleased,” she said. “Everyone there has been very gracious and accommodating.”
The Concert Association kicked off its annual membership drive for the concert series Tuesday, and it will continue through Sept. 25. Admission to the concerts is by season membership only.
The church will seat about 900, she said, compared to the 800 on the main floor of the school auditorium; and it’s all on one level. Another advantage is there is plenty of parking.
As in the past, the series will accommodate people with special needs.
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Nov. 7 — Nettle and Markham — Straight from England, Nettle and Markham rank among the world’s foremost piano duos. For 30 years, they have been delighting audiences throughout the musical world. Concert, festival, radio and television appearances are the core of their current performance schedule.
However, the new venue also presented its own set of problems, which association members had to think through, Jensen said.
“We’ve been working all summer, with a lot more attention to details — to meet the requirements of each group,” she said.
One problem is the plush carpet on the staging area at Life Church, which Jensen said is great for the church, but it will have to be covered before the dance troupe can lay its wood flooring.
The association also had to rent a Steinway piano from Minneapolis for Jenny Oliver’s concert in February.
“The piano at Life Church is perfectly fine for the purpose it serves,” Jensen said, “but extraordinary performers require extraordinary pianos.”
The other piano performers, Nettle and Markham, will travel with two Steinways leased from a New York company, she said. Two receptions are planned in the gathering space at the church following each of the piano concerts.
With the details attended to, Jensen is excited about this year’s line-up, which includes the musical group, Stay Tuned, the New York Theatre Ballet, pianists Jenny Oliver and the piano duo, Nettle and Markham, a Dixieland group, The New Reformation Band, and the choral group, Counterpoint.
In addition to the five concerts in Fergus Falls, season ticket holders may also attend concert series performances in Alexandria and Wadena.
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Oct. 4 — Stay Tuned — With top hits, classic skits and comedy bits, this group will take its audience back to the days of television legends. Their musical journey through the golden age of television is packed with memorable songs, commercial jingles and comedy sketches. The five singers are backed by an eight-piece band.
“With 18 concerts people can go to, all for $30, it’s less than $2 a concert,” Jensen said. “Even the snowbirds, if they get to half the (Fergus Falls concerts) will only pay about $10 a concert. So it’s very affordable.”
What helps keep concerts affordable are the co-sponsors of the series, which include: Nycklemoe, Ellig and Nycklemoe; Krekelberg, Skonseng and Soberg; The Carlisle Band; Quality Circuits; Victor Lundeen Company; Olson Funeral Home; Lake Region HealthCare Corporation; Minnesota Motor Company; and Dorn and Company, Inc.
Season tickets are $30 for adults; $70 for families; and $10 for students. To purchase, call membership drive co-chairwomen, Anne Worner at 736-6068, or Leona Arneson at 739-2014.
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Feb. 8 — Jenny Oliver — Jenny Oliver showed an exceptional talent as a pianist at age 6. When her family moved from Dallas, Texas, to Pelican Rapids in 1994, she continued to study with leading artists and perform in concerts. She is pursuing a doctorate of musical arts at Rice University in Texas.
Concert schedule:
All concerts will be at 7:30 p.m. at Life Church, located a half mile west of I-94 on Hwy. 210, Fergus Falls:
• Saturday, Oct. 4 — Stay Tuned
• Friday, Oct. 17 — New York Theater Ballet
• Friday, Nov. 7 — Nettle and Markham
• Sunday, Feb. 8 — Jenny Oliver, pianist
• Friday, March 13 — Counterpoint
• Sunday, April 19 — New Reformation Band
Attend additional concerts in Alexandria, Wadena :
Central Lakes Concert Series, Alexandria:
Concerts are at 7:30 p.m. (note exceptions) at Jefferson High School Auditorium
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March 13 — Counterpoint — Founded in 2000, by conductor Robert DeCormier, this remarkable, eight-member acapella choir ensemble will present a program of spirituals, folk songs from many countries, and songs by Stephen Foster. DeCormier has a long and successful career in the choral music field.
• Monday, Sept. 29 — Triple Play
• Sunday, Oct. 26 — Fasc. Gershwin
• Sunday, Nov. 16 — Romanza (3 p.m.)
• Monday, Feb. 9 — Generations Trio
• Sunday, March 8 — Spanish Brass (3 p.m.)
• Saturday, April 25 — Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
• Sunday, May 3 — Chancelors Quartet
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Oct. 17 — New York Theater Ballet — presents a radio reverie with the Radio Lady listening to her favorite evening programs and dreaming of what her life could have been, all danced to a Gershwin score. In the second act, the dancers perform numbers from the musicals, “Paint Your Wagon” and “Carousel.”
Wadena Area Concert Series:
Concerts are at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium
• Sunday, Oct. 19 — Barynya
• Tuesday, Nov. 18 — Romanza
• Friday, Dec. 5 — John Bayless
• Thursday, March 19 — Opus Two
• Tuesday, April 21 — April Verch
• Thursday, May 7 — Brett Family
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