BCMS Season Opening Gala

Bellingham Chamber Music Society presents

Season Opening Gala

September 18th 3pm

Hotel Leo Crystal Ballroom

Gustav Holst (1874- 1934) Sextet in E minor

1. Moderato
2. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
3. Adagio
4. Tema. Allegretto (with Variations)

(Approx. 25 minutes)

Shu-Hsin Ko, violin  Yuko Watanabe, viola  Coral Marchant, cello

Jennifer Weeks, oboe  Erika Block, clarinet  Pat Nelson, bassoon

Johannes Brahms (1833-1896) String Quintet No 1. in F Major Op. 88

1. Allegro non troppo ma con brio
2. Grave ed appassionato- Allegretto vivace- Tempo 1- Presto- Tempo 1
3. Allegro energico- Presto

(Approx. 30 minutes)

Dawn Posey, Lenelle Morse, violin  Eric Kean, Lisa Humphrey, viola  Sam Sinai, cello

Experience live chamber music in the beautiful Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Leo. The opening concert of the Bellingham Chamber Music Society features the seldom performed Sextet in E Minor by Gustav Holst for winds and strings. This work, discovered in the British Library Archives at the turn of this century, represents one of only a handful of chamber compositions written by Holst.  Influenced by traditional English folksong, the Sextet features wide expansive melodies, intricate sonorities and a certain sweetness that represents Holst as a young composer.  

This will be followed by the String Quintet no.1 in F Major op.88 by Johannes Brahms. Unlike Holst, Brahms had a large output of chamber works and was a mature composer when this quintet was written. Also known as a double viola quintet, this work is scored for traditional string quartet with a second viola, creating a very lush soundscape. Brahms wrote two of these viola quintets which hold special affection among musicians and audiences alike. Brahms once told his longtime friend, Clara Schumann, that this quintet was “one of his finest works”.

Join us after the concert for a reception where you can meet and mingle with the artists and try a Brahms Bliss, the BCMS signature cocktail from the cash bar.