Yellow Barn Concert Series: Kambuyu Marimba Ensemble

Description

2024 YELLOW BARN CONCERT SERIES
The Iva Smith Memorial Gallery of Fine Art will hosts an annual summer concert series with various dates held June - September. Listeners are invited to ask the performers questions and see their instruments at close hand. All tickets are $10 at the door. Children 12 and younger listen for free. All students who attend for extra credit assignments also listen for free.

Concert Schedule
Sunday, June 30 at 5PM | Take Me Back feat. Joan, Joni, and Dylan
Acclaimed chanteuse Deborah Stone takes up her guitar to revisit her troubadour days in Manhattan's Greenwich Village in the 70s! Deborah is a total pro whose onstage charm, vocal gifts and background in theater and dance all combine to enthrall and entertain! Fresh from engagements at Don't Tell Mama and Pangea in Manhattan.

Wednesday, July 10 at 5PM | Cantiga! Music of the Renaissance Festival
Cantiga's musical magic has delighted visitors to Renaissance Festivals across North America for close to thirty years. Listeners will be delighted by the freedom, virtuosity, life and love that Cantiga infuses into its ancient melodies and rhythms. The word CANTIGA means 'song' in the language of Alfonso the Wise, the legendary 13th Century Spanish "King of the Three Religions" whose royal court was a haven for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish musicians. Following in their tradition, the members of Cantiga are dedicated to the inclusive spirit of musical improvisation that has flourished among musicians in cultural crossroads throughout history and continues to be celebrated in today's diverse Global musical village. Alexander Korolov, on lute, recorders and viola da gamba; Martha Gay, harp; Thomas Nuendel, violin; Dan Grip, Bass.

Sunday, July 14 at 5PM | A Gathering of Voices with Penny Jo Pollus and Friends
Celebrated songwriters Mike Younger, Linda McRae, Kay Miracle, Penny Jo Pullus, bring together a range of creative diversity that spans genres and reflects the solidarity and creative coalition-building happening in the grassroots of our times. They are are returning to the yellow barn to celebrate social commentary artist Will Salisbury, our friend and ally in the creative arts world. Will Salisbury was known for his support of local food banks. Proceeds from this concert will be entirely dedicated to the Hammond Area Food Bank.

Sunday, July 21 at 5PM | Kambuyu Marimba Ensemble
Kambuyu Marimba plays music with its roots in the traditional Shona songs and rhythms of Zimbabwe. The ensemble established in 2004 includes 7 marimbas: 3 sopranos, 2 tenors, 1 baritone and 1 bass. The marimbas are accompanied by hosho, or gourd rattles, singing, clapping and drums. “Kambuyu”, a Shona word for “bugs”, plays happy, percussive music - very rhythmic and driving - meant for dancing. In most songs, one of the soprano marimbas plays the lead melody, while the other instruments provide curious counter-rhythms and chords. This music was brought to the United States during the 1960’s by Dr. Dumasani Maraire of the Kwanongoma College of Music in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and has become very popular in the Pacific Northwest and interest gradually spreading across the country. The songs Kambuyu plays are either influenced by traditional Shona mbira (thumb piano) melodies arranged for marimba, or are more modern compositions written in the traditional music spirit. The various marimba parts to each song are typically taught through oral tradition without written notation. Members include educators, scientists, nurses, and business folk (mostly retired). Home base is Syracuse, NY.

Sunday, July 28 at 3PM | Bach, Baroque Masters & More
With Duo Amici, Hakan Tayga on cello & Pej Reitz on piano. Hakan Tayga is currently the Principal Cellist of Binghamton Philharmonic.
Orchestral experience includes: Tri-Cities Opera, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Catskill Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, and Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. An avid chamber music collaborator and guest artist, Hakan has had the great opportunity to work with artists locally and in the Central NY region and in NYC including- Ensemble Concord at the Kilmer Mansion, Pej Reitz, novo4tet, DeVere String Quartet, Cypress Willow Quartet, Bach Works NYC, Contemporary Music at Cornell, SUNY Binghamton Faculty Chamber concerts, and the 92nd Street Y Chamber Music Program. Pej Reitz is a pianist and native of the Binghamton area. She is currently on the faculty at Binghamton University and Ithaca College School of Music and SUNY Broome. She is a member of the New York District MTNA organization. She is the Treasurer of the local District VII Music Teachers Association and is an active adjudicator for the National Piano Guild Organization.

Sunday, August 11 at 5PM | Sing-Along, Play-Along Jam with Barb Heller
A North Country treasure recognized for her afternoon radio show String Fever and loved for the musical concerts and sing-alongs that she has hosted over the years in town halls, local opera houses, old barns and around campfires where people gather together and raise their voices in song, Barb's community folk jams celebrate the songs of our shared musical heritage and offer it up as a gift to the next generation. Grab your guitar, ukulele, kazoo, drums (or whatever!)--or just come along to sing or listen. Join Barb Heller and friends old and new in a celebration of shared music for a summer evening -- folk songs, camp songs, your songs.... All proceeds from this concert will be donated to the Hammond Area Food Bank. Please plan to bring dry goods or cash donations in the amount of $10 or more to address the issue of hunger in our area. Thank you, in advance, for your kind offerings.

Saturday, August 24 at 7PM | Uprooted: Americana Roots & Branches
Uprooted's members, Camilla Ammirati, Catherine Jahncke, Rosemary Philips and Lenore VanderZee, have come from all over the U.S. at different times to put down new roots here in the North Country. The band plays an eclectic mix of favorites from the 1890s to the 1990s as well as original songs that draw on the stylings of American music traditions--from country to swing to hot jazz and rock--all intertwined with the harmonious strands of their guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, fiddle and rich vocals.

Saturday, September 14 at 7PM | The Atkinson Family Band
A genuine musical family born and brought up in the North Country, rooted in country and bluegrass musical traditions, the Atkinsons have expanded the repertoire with their original compositions. As the Atkinson Family Band’s music moves the heart, their skill inspires admiration and their banter invites their listeners to be part of their larger musical family. A listener to the music of the Atkinson Family Band comes to appreciate the heart of their genre - music as history, music as storytelling, music that resonates with simpler times and universal experiences that unite us a human family.

Saturday, September 28 at 2PM | An Afternoon of Scottish Harp Music fest. Rachel Clemente
Come and be enchanted! Vermont-based pedal and traditional Scottish harpist, Rachel Clemente, has had a passion for music from an early age. In July of 2018 Rachel graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a degree in traditional Scottish music. She won the U.S. National Scottish Harp Championship in 2016 and of the Princess Margaret of the Isles Clarsach Competition in 2021.