SALISBURY — Carolina Baroque will present its final concert of the season in the chapel of St. John’s Lutheran Church on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Titled “Handel and Salisbury,” the concert will be of special interest to music-lovers in Salisbury and Rowan County. Salisbury, cathedral city in Wiltshire, was one of the most flourishing provincial centers of musical activity in 18th century England. Regular subscription concerts were established in the 1730s with meetings throughout the year. James Harris promoted Handel’s music and entertained the composer in his Salisbury home, Malmesbury House (which one can visit today) in 1739.
The Carolina Baroque program will include a variety of Handel’s music performed in Salisbury in the 18th century.
Works for soprano solo include “Hush, hush, you pretty warbling quire” from Acis and Galatea, “Softly sweet in Lydian measures” from Alexander’s Feast, “Mirth, admit me of thy crew” from L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed it Moderato, “Father of Heav’n” from Judas Maccabaeus, “Will the sun forget to streak” from Solomon, “I know that my Redeemer liveth” from Messiah, and “Let the bright Seraphim” from Samson.
Instrumental pieces on the program are Trio Sonata in B flat major, Opus. 2, No. 3, Trio Sonata in A major, Opus 5, No. 1, and the Passacaille from Trio Sonata in G major, Opus 5, No. 4, as well the Organ Concerto in F major, Opus 4, No. 5
Making his first appearance with Carolina Baroque will be Matthew M. Brown, on harpsichord and organ. A graduate of the UNC School of the Arts, Brown earned his master’s degree from Eastman. He is music director at First United Methodist Church in Salisbury.
Other performers will include Teresa Radomski, soprano; John Pruett and Susan Perkins, baroque violins; Marian Wilson, baroque viola; Holly Maurer, viola da gamba; and Dale Higbee, recorders.Dale Higbee is music director for Carolina Baroque.
Details of this concert and information about Carolina Baroque can be found on www.carolinabaroque.org. Admission is by donation at the door, $10 suggested.
This concert is made possible by some support from the Rowan Arts Council, but mostly from contributions by Friends of Carolina Baroque.
For more information, email info@carolinabaroque.org or write to Carolina Baroque, c/o Dr. Dale Higbee, 412 S. Ellis St., Salisbury, NC 28144-4820.