Dear Friends,
Did you see S. Derrickson Moore’s feature on the Friends of Chamber Music in Sunday’s Sun News? We appreciate her fine article! It will be exciting to see the interest it generates in the community. We have already heard several positive comments about it; if you missed it, see our web-site under the heading “News”. Also under that heading, you may hear a recording of our recent interview with Leora Zeitlan of KRWG-FM.
I met with some friends yesterday who will be putting posters up all over town for the concert on the 23rd. I am so grateful for their commitment to our organization and for their willingness to help in tangible ways! The program will begin with J. S. Bach’s inspiring “Prelude” from Suite #1 in G, for unaccompanied cello; followed by Beethoven’s stirring violin sonata in F, “Spring”. The performance will conclude with the beautiful Brahm’s “Clarinet Quintet”. We are expecting a good turn-out, and hope to see you there along with family and friends! An excellent suggestion came my way; I thought you might wish to give it a try. My friend suggested that you invite a group to join you in purchasing tickets to attend the concert, and also to gather with you before or after the performance. Wine and cheese on your patio? Perhaps lemonade and cookies just before sunset? Or chocolate fondue following the concert? Cheesecake and coffee under the stars? It sure sounds like fun to me, and that kind of an evening with friends would not only promote attendance at the concert, but, more importantly, it would reinforce to those you invite the value you place on sharing these kinds of events! Call or E-mail me for tickets, or call John Pleasant at 571-1000; they are also available at the offices of Doña Ana Arts Council, which is right next door to the Rio Grande Theatre.
Last Friday’s “ArtsHop” in Old Mesilla was great fun, and a number of visitors to the courtyard where we played were eager to know about Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music. I am also working on the possibility of playing for a fund-raising benefit for another non-profit group. We hope in the future to be able to support our community in those kind of outreaches as well.
Our holiday production of “The Christmas Gift” is well on it’s way! We will be releasing exact details very soon, but for now you may wish to mark your calendars for the weekend of December 15 – 17. Logistical considerations necessitated rescheduling from the date we had originally announced.
The more opportunities that arise for the Friends of Chamber Music, the greater need we will have for you, our supporters, to take an active role as volunteers. We have a list of tasks which we would really appreciate help with; everything from simple behind-the-scenes office help to “meet & greet” at concerts, distributing posters for up-coming events, helping with an information and ticket table at Sat. Farmer’s Market, hosting meetings or events, bringing prior experience with Fund-Raising, etc. Whether you have a lot of time or a little, some particular experience you can bring or simply a willingness to help our organization succeed, there are numerous needs which we would be happy to match you with. As with any group of this kind, the commitment of volunteers is vital in order for us to meet (and exceed!) our goals for the future. Volunteer Coordinator, Bonnie McGrew, and I will be hosting a short get-together on Saturday morning, September 23 to get the ball rolling. I hope you will plan on joining us – all you need to bring is your enthusiasm and a willingness to make yourself available to help Friends of Chamber Music. Please RSVP if you will be attending and I will send directions to my home.
Musically Yours,
Barb Toth, Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music