Photos From Chamber Music Weekend 2024
CHAMBER GROUP SESSIONS
Experience the joy of playing great music in a friendly supportive setting. Here a group is reading one of more than 50 piano quartets available for use in the CMW library.
Playing great music together can lead to great friendships
At Chamber Music Weekend, there is no shortage of players to read larger works such as quintets. sexets, or octets, or works which require an excellent pianist.
CHAMBER MUSIC LIBRARY
CMW has an extensive chamber music library. This means that chamber groups may choose to play well-known pieces, or to get acquainted with fine works by lesser-known composers.
CMW's chamber music library of well over 1400 volumes provides a rich repertoire for participants to choose from. Here we see just a portion of it.
informal chamber music concerts
On Thursday evening’s concert this group gave a beautiful performance of the Adagio from Mozart’s “Flute Quartet in D K285.
chamber orchestra
Friday afternoon. CMW Chamber Orchestra rehearsing in the Collegedale Adventist Church, an acoustically fine place to make great music.
Candlelight Dinner
Two days of intense music-making and rehearsal are followed by the Friday evening Candlelight Dinner, a time of fellowship, graceful elegance, and peace.
Participants take turns providing beautiful dinner music.
hymn sing
Following the Candlelight Dinner all are invited into the church to spend time simply singing hymns together unaccompanied, voices blending in four-part harmony, singing together for the love of it. Here we are gathered in a square to close with the Randall Thompson "Alleluja". This, for many, is one of the most moving experiences of the weekend.
ORCHESTRA FOR CHURCH (optional)
Among other works this season, the Chamber Orchestra performed the “Eclogue for Piano and Strings,” by Gerald Finzi, with Devon Howard as soloist.
ORCHESTRA VESPERS
Early Saturday evening, the orchestra provides a vespers program for the local church community. This year, along with other works, we also played Leos Janácek’s “Idyll for String Orchestra”, a very lovely piece.
FINAL CONCERT
In the final concert, this group played music written in the style of the Danish Quartet’s arrangements of Nordic folk songs and fiddle tunes – a delightful piece written by first violinist, Alison Menzmer.
Chamber Groups Making Exquisite Music
The final concert also included a masterful performance of the “Variations on a Russian Folk Song” by Glazunov and friends.
Mendelssohn Octet
CMW closes officially on Saturday night, following the final concert, with all participants invited to come onto the stage to play Mendelssohn’s Octet in E flat major. With players arranged in a large circle, the intensity of the ‘surround sound’ makes this a powerful and thrilling experience.
making music for the love of it
Chamber Music Weekend 2024 participants and staff all playing the Mendelssohn Octet.
In this photo, there are 78 players visible, plus 5 observers. There were at least 7 more players in the side balconies. What a thrill and what a great sound!