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Music appreciation; Eden's Edge seeks to hit the right note with all ages
Eden's Edge seeks to hit the right note with all ages
With music ranging from the baroque to an original piece that celebrates the architecture of a Newburyport church, this year's Music at Eden's Edge concert is sure to impress.
The North Shore chamber music ensemble aims to expose the community to chamber music and raise money for its outreach programs when it presents its annual family concert this weekend.
"Parents often ask how they can get their child interested in music," artistic director Maria Benotti said. "My answer is always to go to concerts and do music with your child. When we do things with our family and we're all enjoying it and having fun, it becomes a happy memory."
Creating family memories is one of the reasons Eden's Edge holds a family concert each year.
"It's special for that reason," Benotti said. "Families can come together and learn something that will have longer effects."
Sunday's "Family at Any Age" concert will feature an adventurous mix of music, including a baroque work and a movement from a new piece written by composer John Wallace for the chamber group.
Titled "Structures," Wallace's composition portrays in music the architectural lines and character of several North Shore architectural landmarks, including the First Religious Society in downtown Newburyport.
Wallace said he chose the First Religious Society on Pleasant Street as one of the landmarks to highlight because of the "perfect proportions" of its soaring steeple.
"(Music at Eden's Edge) asked me to write a piece, and in discussing ideas with Maria, we talked about things that interested us, and architecture and music was high on the list," said Wallace, a Boston University professor and Salem resident. "The more we talked, the First Religious Society church leapt to mind."
Wallace said "Structures" takes on a double meaning for him, with architecture used as both a point of departure as well as the meaning behind the music's own structure. Wallace is still working on other movements in the composition. The next part will feature the House of Seven Gables in Salem.
The composer will be on hand Sunday to talk about how he interprets shapes in music.
"I'm excited to be working with Music at Eden's Edge," Wallace said. "It's great to see an ensemble that's been around as long as they have. It's a tough thing to run a small arts organization and keep it going."
In addition to Wallace's new work, this weekend's concert program will feature bassoon and flute quartets by Devienne and Mozart, assorted duets and a multiple-choice "grab bag" of pieces to be selected by the audience.
In an effort to provide a hands-on experience, concert-goers will also get to try out some instruments during a "Meet the Instruments and their Owners" intermission.
Founded in 1982, Music at Eden's Edge is deeply rooted in community outreach. It performs four concerts for the area's seniors and families each summer.
The ensemble also travels throughout the North Shore leading school workshops in hopes of expanding students' tastes in music. It spotlights different instruments as well as musical styles, including African drum rhythms, to give students an understanding of the wide array of music in the world.
Music at Eden's Edge partners with nine schools in the region, including the Bresnahan School in Newburyport. It costs the group about $22,000 a year to operate the program.
"Each school receives the program free," Benotti said. "We play for as much of the school as we can possibly manage."
While the content for the school programs is always changing, Benotti points to a recent session on rhythm during which musicians worked with students to put words to music. The session built on the students' interest in rap music, which is rooted in rhythm.
"We heard from the teachers, who said the next day the students were making up their own rhythms," Benotti said.
IF YOU GO
What: Music at Eden's Edge "Family at Any Age" concert featuring Orlando Cela on flute, Maria Benotti on violin, Mark Berger on viola, Neil Fairbairn on bassoon and Sarah Freiberg on cello
When: Sunday at 3 p.m.
Where: First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport
How: Tickets $20, $15 students, $60 families. Discounted tickets available for school groups. Call 978-270-4463 or visit www.edensedge.org.
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