Above: The Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department Mid Trail Fire Hall was transformed into a concert hall on Sunday, August 14. Talented North Shore artists offered an amazing program, which included two new works by composer William Beckstrand. Left: Enjoying the evening were (L-R) A. Paul Schaap, Carol Schaap, Patsy Coleman, Program Director David Coleman, William Beckstrand.
Mid Trail Fire Station No. 1 hosted the Woods, Winds and Strings Concert on Sunday, August 14, 2016. Starting at 4 p.m., music by talented North Shore artists and their guests provided a program that had feet tapping and moods swinging.
David Coleman served as program director and started by acknowledging those who had been instrumental in making this fourth concert happen. He thanked Susan Scherer for her successful efforts in bringing together a diverse group of musicians, and Bonnie Schudy and Kathy Lande for handling ticket sales at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. Public appreciation was extended to A. Paul and Carol Schaap for their generous donation of a new Kawai piano researched, selected and transported to Schaap Community Center by Gunflint friends and neighbors.
Then the music began. Initiating the audience with a lively piece by G. F. Teleman, Philis Anderson and Kathy Bolstad performed Gigue in G Major otherwise known as Poco Vivace. The mood was set or was it?
Michael Ferguson took a moment to express his pleasure that he was to be the first to publicly play the new piano and proceeded to lull us with a Nocturne in E Major by Chopin.
Philis returned with a piece from Bach. She is now playing an oboe d’amore that is larger than the oboe she has been known to play. Like the oboe, it is a double reed instrument and she explained that both Ravel and Bach composed for the oboe d’amore. Accompanied by Karina Roth on piano, Philis presented Concerto in A Major (first movement) to an appreciative audience.
The trumpet was next. Don Grant chose the Trumpet concerto (second movement) by Haydn making us happy he took up music again after his career as an engineer. Don was accompanied by Andrea Fincel, piano. Andrea has a degree in music studies with a particularly strong interest in Haydn.
Works by Wm. Beckstrand appeared twice on the program. First as two compositions based on poems by Robert Frost, The Most of It and Reluctance.
The performance began with a reading of each poem followed by Karina Roth, soprano, singing each piece accompanied by Beckstrand on piano.
Before the second entry by Beckstrand, Michael Ferguson again used that new piano. This time he chose Selections from the Goldberg Variations by Bach, explaining that the entire piece was close to an hour and half and originally created to induce sleep in an insomniac diplomat. No one slept.
But to be sure our nods were musically responsive, the scene changed to Sky Blue Trio And Orange Girl playing jazz pieces by Cole Porter, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck and Mike DeBevec. This quartet entertained us with Porter’s It’s all right with me, Blue in Green officially credited to Miles Davis with an initial boost by Bill Evans, Take Five by Brubeck and an adaptation Jive in Five by DeBevec. Members of the group are Karina Roth, soprano; Mike Roth, bass; Erik Hahn, soprano sax, and Mike DeBevec, piano.
Kathy Bolstad was next on the program with Mendelssohn’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (Andante movement).
David Coleman returned to introduce the world premiere of Three Sketches Against the Dark by Wm. Beckstrand. David and his wife Patricia Coleman chose the Fourth Annual Gunflint Woods, Winds and Strings Concert as the venue for a commissioned work in honor of A. Paul and Carol Schaap. The Schaaps have been valued members of the Gunflint community since 1974 when they built their place on Clearwater. Their generosity has made a Mid Trail community center a reality and they continue their support here on the Gunflint.
Because of a wondrous scientific discovery that occurred in Paul’s research, he and Carol have been able to be generous in other ways. An example David Coleman gave was the participation of the Schaaps in the Grand Plan to save the collection of the Detroit Michigan Art Museum when the city was going through bankruptcy.
The featured piece of the concert was Beckstrand’s second work, Three Sketches Against The Dark, a suite for piano, violin and soprano sax. Bill explained that each of the three movements, Curiosity, Luminosity and Generosity reflect the life and work of Paul Schaap and his wife Carol and reminded the audience that David and Patricia Coleman commissioned the piece as a gift for the couple on their 40th wedding anniversary.
The suite was performed by Karina Roth, piano; Erika Ternes, violin; Erik Hahn, soprano sax. The audience responded with a standing ovation.
The final piece played by an ensemble of musicians was Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, from Oratorio Solomon. It was a favorite piece of ensemble members who had performed it for other occasions. It made a rousing finale.
The audience was invited to move to the reception in the Schaap Community Center next door for a social hour where Fran Smith, Jeanne Schreifer, Cherlyn Morrison and friends had prepared a buffet of delectable treats. As Fran Smith said when receiving comments of appreciation, “It’s what we do; we’re friends.” And we thank friends.
The Gunflint Trail Historical Society and the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department are beneficiaries of the annual concert.
Woods, Winds and Strings will be broadcast by local community radio WTIP (90.7 FM) on August 30 at 8 p.m. and September 4 at 10 a.m.
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