Just Around The Corner: April 26, 2001

Just Around the Corner
Noteworthy Events In The Capital Region

Spring Fling Concert featuring Gordon Stone
Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg
April 27
Harrisburg Area Community College will host a Spring Fling concert on Friday, April 27 with a variety of live entertainment offered for free to the public. The performances will run from approximately 9:30a.m. – 4 p.m. in front of the Cooper Student Center on campus. Bands include Stone Jug, Clint Daub and the popular New York City groove outfit, Ulu.

Most notable is the Gordon Stone Band whose drummer, Russ Lawton, also handles drum duties for Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio’s solo outings, including a major venue tour this summer. The Gordon Stone Band /Phish relationship does not end there. Members of both bands have supported each other on stage and in the studio for years with frequent collaborations. But don’t expect The Gordon Stone Band to sound anything like the arena-ready rock of Phish. Expect them to sound more like Bela Fleck and The Flecktones. This banjo group from Vermont have been taking newgrass (a fusion of jazz and bluegrass) to the next level for nearly a decade, even integrating funk and reggae into their repertoire. The band has found an audience with fans of jam bands as well as the more traditional bluegrass and jazz set. Gordon Stone is scheduled to perform at 11:10 a.m.

Jazz Concert: Salute to Stan Kenton
Harrisburg Hilton and Towers
April 29
Trumpeter Mike Vax will direct an All-Alumni Kenton Orchestra on Sunday, April 29 as part of a tribute concert to bandleader, pianist, and arranger Stan Kenton. Presented by the Central PA Friends of Jazz, the “Salute to Stan Kenton” will begin with an opening lecture on Kenton by Penn State University’s Dr. Dan Yoder at 4:45 p.m., a performance by the Cedar Cliff High School Jazz Band at 5 p.m., and a question-and-answer session with Yoder and possibly some Kenton alumni at 5:45 p.m.

One of the more influential figures in modern jazz, Stan Kenton has long been credited for his innovative and forward thinking approach to the style. After performing with numerous theatre and dance bands early in his career, Kenton formed his first band in 1941, calling it the Artistry in Rhythm Orchestra. Kenton’s 20-piece orchestra, Progressive Jazz, was formed in 1949, his 43-piece Innovations was established in 1950. His most advanced band, Innovations — with strings, woodwinds, and horns — conducted two nationwide tours in 1950–1951. Though the enormous project eventually proved too large and costly to maintain, causing Kenton to trim down to his standard sized orchestra, while in existence Innovations drew such big names as Maynard Ferguson, Art Pepper, and Bud Shank. In 1959, Kenton began a series of “jazz clinics,” where he instructed numerous students and bands on the intricacies of his unpredictable and innovative approach. Kenton conducted these clinics and continued touring with his big band until his death in 1979.

Mike Vax and the All-Alumni Kenton Orchestra will be at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers in downtown Harrisburg on April 29 at 6 p.m. The band will perform a combination of well-known Kenton music and new music written in the Kenton style. For tickets and information, call Central PA Friends of Jazz at 540-1010. Tickets will also be on sale at the door.

Spring Concerts
Rose Lehrman Arts Center, HACC
May 1 and May 3
Harrisburg Area Community College’s two choral groups, Wildwood Chorale and Wildwood Vocal Express are planning to kick off the month of May with a set of spring concerts at the campus’ Rose Lehrman Arts Center.

On May 1 at 7:30 p.m., the Wildwood Chorale will present “Summer Is A Comin’ In,” an eclectic collection of songs intended to “celebrate the changing season.” Songs include “Hotaru Koi” (Firefly Come), a Japanese children’s song and “Sumer is icumen in,” a round sung by the men in the chorale as well as spirituals and two modern Hungarian madrigals.

The College’s Wildwood Vocal Express will hold their concert on Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. Entitled “Stay Tuned,” the performance will feature TV theme songs and jingles familiar to television viewers of all ages. Included in the set list are songs from “Sesame Street” (the ever popular “Rubber Ducky”), a Schoolhouse Rock medley, and theme songs from some of the most memorable programs, such as “Friends,” “Cheers, “ “Happy Days,” and “The Brady Bunch.”

Both spring concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, call 231-7673.

Susquehanna Chorale’s 20th Anniversary Concert
Various locations
May 4, 5, and 7

For it’s 20th Anniversary Concert, the Susquehanna Chorale will perform the Central Pennsylvania premiere of British composer and performer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s “The Glory and the Dream.”

Commissioned by the Chorale and 13 other choirs, including the Australia’s Sydney Chamber Choir and London’s Canticum, which is the first choir to perform the work.

Featuring the text of William Wordsworth’s “Ode to Imitations of Immortality,” the piece was composed by Bennett for the voice and organ. Among his other works, Bennett has scored such movies as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nicholas and Alexandra.

Following the Chorale’s performance of “The Glory and the Dream,” they will perform “Patron’s Picks,” songs selected by Chorale patrons from the group’s 20 years of music. Included among the “Patron’s Picks” is “Danny Boy,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Loch Lomond.” The most requested favorite will be performed at the conclusion of the show.

Prior to the show, Dr. Rudolph Sharpe will discuss the poetry that was vital to “The Glory and the Dream.” The pre-concert chat will take place at 7 p.m.
The Susquehanna Chorale’s 20th Anniversary Concert will take place May 4 at Whitaker Center in Harrisburg; May 5 at Leffler Chapel on the Elizabethtown College campus; and May 7 at the Grace United Methodist Church in Hummelstown.

Tickets for the performance are $14 – 22 for adults, $12 – 22 for students and seniors. For tickets, call THE BOX at 214-ARTS. For more information, call the Susquehanna Chorale office at 533-7859 or visit their website: susquehannachorale.org.

24th Annual Pops Concert
Thompson Gymnasium, Elizabethtown College
May 4

Join the Elizabethtown College Women’s Chorus and Jazz Band at the 24th Annual Pops Concert. Comprised of 25 first year students, the Chorus will perform a litany of favorites to perform at the show, including “Over the Rainbow,” “Steam Heat,” and “Elijah Blue.”

The Elizabethtown College Jazz Band will take the stage with a number of hits from the ’30s and ’40s. Directed by Grant Moore, the band has recently performed at a number of notable places, including the Kennedy Center, the Forum Building in Harrisburg, and the country of Austria, where they recently toured.

The 24th Annual Pops Concert will take place May 4 at 7 p.m. at the Thompson Gymnasium on the Elizabethtown College campus in Elizabethtown. Admission to the concert is $12 for adults and $7 for students. For tickets and information, call 361-1234.

Exhibit: The Photography of Marie A. Phillips
The Gallery at Walnut Place, Harrisburg
Opening reception: May 5

With a “primary focus on nature and macro photography,” Marie Phillips has spent the past 13 years capturing the inspiring images of nature and wildlife. Specializing in “painting with light” and night photography, Phillips pays close attention to the lighting aspect of her shots, carefully implementing all aspects of natural lighting to produce photographs many feel are akin to paintings from the Impressionist era. A majority of Phillips’ images have been captured while canoeing and hiking in state and national parks throughout North America.

The Photography of Marie Phillips will be on exhibition from May 1 – 26 at The Gallery at Walnut Place. The opening reception for the exhibit is Saturday, May 5 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The Gallery at Walnut Place is located at 413 Walnut Street in Harrisburg. For more information, call 234-6414.

Opening Day at Fort Hunter
Fort Hunter Mansion, Harrisburg
May 6
Welcome another season of fun at Fort Hunter by attending the opening day celebration on May 6. Sponsored by the Friends of Fort Hunter, the celebration is a daylong event, with a number of activities scheduled — from gardening and a garden sale (by the Garden Club of Harrisburg) to workshops and children’s activities, as well as the standard Fort Hunter fare, such as guided tours and a needlework exhibit.

Opening Day kicks off at 9 a.m. with gardening at the Centennial Barn. Light breakfast and lunch fare will be available for purchase, as will items in the Museum’s gift shop. The exhibit, ‘Worked By Hand: 19th Century Needlework,” will be on display in the Mansion.

Admission to Opening Day is free; admission is charged for Mansion tours. All proceeds support the Landscape Restoration Project.

Opening Day festivities will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 599-5751.

AIDS Walk 2001
City Island, Harrisburg
Lancaster Square, Lancaster
May 6
On Sunday, May 6 AIDS Community Alliance will once again host its AIDS Walk event, held simultaneously in Harrisburg and Lancaster. AIDS Walk 2001 will kick off at Lancaster Square, North Queen Street, in Lancaster and at the Carousel Pavilion on City Island in Harrisburg. Registration begins at noon at both sites and will be accompanied by live entertainment — including Hip Hop the Clown and local Latina performer Melissan Manjon on City Island — as well as the displaying of portion of the Names Project AIDS Quilt from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The three-mile walk will begin at 2 p.m.

Held to raise money and awareness of HIV in Lancaster County, the walk is a community event involving teams of walkers or individuals who raise funds via sponsorships. All monies raised by the walk remain in South Central PA supporting HIV and AIDS services provided by AIDS Community Alliance (ACA).

For more information or to receive a registration sponsorship form, call ACA at 1-800-867-1550 x 226.