Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from all of us here at the Takoma Ensemble.  We wish you good fortune, health and happiness. We look forward to seeing you in 2015 at the final concerts of our season.

March 7     PB&J Concert with Takoma Ensemble players and Becky Linafelt 
                    time tbc                    Seekers Church, Takoma Park

May 9         Featuring clarinetist Ben Redwine and new works by Charlie Barnett
                    8 PM                       Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring
                                    

            Locations

Takoma Park Community Center, Takoma Park

Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring

Seekers Church, Takoma Park

Download the flier

A Sneak Peak

We had a wonderful, heart-warming concert tonight at Church of the Ascension in Rockville.  Many thanks to all who came and joined us in song and cheer.

Here's a clip, a snippet, a hint of things to come tomorrow...

If you have a grey box with a jigsaw piece, please right click and hit Run Plug In.  

'Til I can figure out why its happening.  

Takoma Ensemble in the News

It's always good to have a little press coverage so we're pleased to be able to share this article in the Gazette newspaper.

It's GivingTuesday

We know you have many demands on your giving this year.  Please consider making a contribution to our organization and help us bring world-class musicians with decades of education and experience to our local stage playing the unique music that has become our hallmark.

Thank you!

I'd like to support the Takoma Ensemble!

Tickets now available for our Holiday concert Silver Spring

Purchase reserved seating tickets

for our holiday concert!!

December 7 at 4 pm

Episcopal Church of the Ascension

633 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20912

Get Tickets!

'Tis the Season for Holiday Concerts!

Welcome in the holidays with music and singing this year.  We are so excited to have joined forces with the acclaimed National Philharmonic Singers to bring you holiday concerts guaranteed to get you and yours in the mood for the holidays.

On the program is "Alleluia," by popular American composer Eric Whitacre, as well as Christmas classics by John Rutter and Shaw-Parker, "Christmas Day" by Gustav Holst, and the wonderful "Christmas Concerto" by Corelli.

The concert concludes with favorite carols by the choir including "Stille Nacht" and the ever-popular "Carol Sing" with the Twelve Days of Christmas.

You have two great opportunities to join us!

              December 6 at 8 pm
              Christ Episcopal Church, Rockville
              107 S Washington St, Rockville, MD          

               December 7 at 4 pm
               Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring
               633 Sligo Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910

The National Philharmonic Singers, conducted by Stan Engebretson and Victoria Gau, is a chamber choir and one of several performing ensembles of the National Philharmonic, which is in residence at the Music Center at Strathmore. As such, it promotes works suited for smaller ensembles, whether with accompaniment or a cappella.  Its repertoire ranges from 15th to 21st centuries, and it often premieres new compositions by local composers.

Donations requested at the door.

Peanut Butter and Jam Session!

That was fun. Thanks to the many many of you who came to our s'Peck'tacular show this morning with Kindermusik teacher, the incredibly talented Becky Linafelt.  It was fabulous to play for such an incredibly enthusiastic audience.  Hope to see you all next time.

Apologies for my poor filming abilities.  There'll be an official film from Takoma Park TV soon.  

In the meantime, I may stick to playing the violin.  
If you get a little jigsaw piece, right click and click Run PlugIn

Upcoming Concerts this weekend

Please join us for our Season Opening Concerts

saturday october 25 2014

11am – PB&Jam Sessions with Becky Linafelt

Kindermusik performance for children 2 to 7

7:30 pm Orchestral Concert

featuring Soprano Laura Choi Stuart

Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave, Takoma Park

sunday october 26 2014

4 pm Orchestral Concert

featuring Soprano Laura Choi Stuart

Church of the Ascension, Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring

Donations accepted at the door

2014-2015 Season

We are excited to announce our upcoming season of concerts

October 25        

11 AM         Family Concert with Becky Linafelt
Takoma Park Community Center, Takoma Park

7:30 PM     Concert featuring soprano Laura Choi Stuart, and works by Shapiro, Peck and Golijov
Takoma Park Community Center, Takoma Park

October 26         

4 PM         Concert featuring soprano Laura Choi Stuart, and works by Shapiro, Peck and Golijov
Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring

December 6        

8 PM         Holiday Concert with National Philharmonic Singers
Christ Episcopal Church, Rockville

December 7         

4 PM         Holiday Concert with National Philharmonic Singers
Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring

March 7                 

4 PM         Takoma Ensemble NAKED: Chamber Music concert
Seekers Church, Takoma Park

May 9
                             8 PM        Concert featuring clarinetist Ben Redwine and World Premieres                                                                  of works by Charlie Barnett
                                                        Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring

            Locations

Takoma Park Community Center, Takoma Park

Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring

Christ Episcopal Church, Rockville

Seekers Church, Takoma Park

           Download the flier

Coming Up

Hello! We're busy working on the 2014-15 season and are happy to announce two upcoming concerts in the We Are Takoma series at Takoma Park Community Center.

October 25 at 11 am - Peanut Butter and Jam Session with Takoma Ensemble :)

Kindermusik teacher, Becky Linafelt, and members of the Takoma Ensemble will engage young children through music, dance, storytelling, and games. This informal concert will be fun, lively, and educational. Ages 2- 7. 

October 25 at 7:30 pm

We are excited and honored to be working with brilliant local soprano Laura Choi Stuart. Hailed as “a lyric soprano of ravishing quality” by the Boston Globe, Laura has appeared on the mainstage with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Annapolis Opera, Lake George Opera, the In Series, and Opera North in roles including Musetta, Adina, Gilda, Pamina, and Frasquita.  And soon, the Takoma Ensemble! 

Program 

   Shapiro  -  Remembrance

   Peck      -  Signs of Life II

   Golijov  -  Three Songs for Soprano and String Orchestra 

As we build the next season, our ideas are only limited by our budget.  Please remember the Takoma Ensemble as you plan your entertainment for the Fall.  Thank you

Details of more concerts, including a Holiday Singalong will be posted in the coming weeks.  

Thank you!

We are just touching half way to our Spring fund-raising goal!  Thank you to all who share their support in such a tangible way.  We APPRECIATE it so much!

Please come and join us as we appreciate the music we play on April 27 at our next concert.

And of course, if you haven't yet but would still like to, our campaign is ongoing at Fractured Atlas.

Spring cleaning!!

Spring is coming! Its time to nurture new buds, work in some compost and invest in new growth. And so, to help our Takoma Ensemble garden grow, we've begun our Spring Fundraising Campaign and can now receive online donations through Fractured Atlas, our fiscal agent. If you'd like to see us flourish and bloom, please visit us at https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=9921

All donations are tax-deductible. Any amount is incredibly appreciated. We promise to take care and work hard to create a really beautiful oral garden.

Thank you!

Concert at the Waterfront is coming up in April

We're thrilled to be playing our next concert at the Westminster Presbyterian Church by the Waterfront.  Join us please for a concert of music by some really fabulous American composers who draw from classical, folk and jazz influences to come up with music uniquely fun and toe-tapping.            Appalachia Waltz             Mark O'Connor      String Transparencies      Charlie Barnett      Remembrance                 Alex Shapiro (she's the LIVING CHICK we promised!)      Signs of Life II                 Russell Peck

The Westminster Presbyterian Church is renowned for its Friday Night Jazz and Blue Monday Blues series'.  These concerts enjoy a large and enthusiastic following and represent the best of live music experiences.  Come and help us kick start what we hope will become a new local tradition as we bring our own brand of jazz, blues and classical from Takoma Park to the Waterfront.  April 27 at 2 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church 400 1 Street SW Washington DC 20024 We'll be taking online reservations just as soon as we can set things up. If you want to see more concerts like this, or support us just because, PLEASE DO by following this link to our online donation page !

Pieced Together Documentary

We spent Sunday recording Scott Pender's soundtrack, Foothills, for the Pieced Together Project Documentary by filmmaker, Julianne Donofrio (I know - a lot of links but its a collaboration!).

The music is beautiful and such a great accompaniment to this phenomenal story that celebrates community and art in a unique and vibrant way.



Just google 'quilt trail' and you'll see the extraordinary network that has built up around this one simple idea - paint a quilt trail on an old barn. Donna Sue Groves, a native Appalachian, purchased a farm in Ohio that included an old tobacco barn.  To honor her mother, an avid quilter, Donna Sue came up with the idea to have a quilt block painted on the aging structure.

Barn Quilts grew from this small idea in Adams County, Ohio.  The Quilt Trail movement has now spread to at least 30 states and two Canadian provinces.

photograph from the North Tennessee trail by Suzi Parron

Its just perfect weather for a concert

Get out of the house, away from your screens, and come into the warm with us tonight to relax with friends and music.

7:30pm Saturday February 15, 2014

takoma park community center
auditorium, 7500 Maple Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912

Mark O’Connor - Appalachia Waltz
Charlie Barnett - String Transparencies
Lou Harrison - Suite for Symphonic Strings

Come join us on Saturday 15th

By Saturday February 15 you will most likely have had just as much cabin fever as you can handle. What better way to escape the snow than sit back, relax and be transported by the Takoma Ensemble to Appalachia, the wide Wild West and lands of sunlight and warm gentle winds.

Bring your friends and neighbors and then join us at theAfter Concert Reception where we can all shake what's left of the Snow Blues.

Can you think of a better reason to get out of the house?

Backstage Interview for We Are Takoma

Fame at last! Check out our Backstage Takoma interview for the We Are Takoma series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs3eEQcfopo

Lou Harrison

Lou Harrison (1917 - 2003) was a pretty amazing guy.  Not least because he often looked like this (right)

but mostly because of his life's work and the music he left us.

This short trailer to the documentary of his life features some extraordinary musicians and a glimpse into his life and background. You get the feeling that we just don't make them like this any more.

The Takoma Ensemble are thrilled to include his music in our next concert.

Saturday February 15, 2014 @ 7:30 pm
Takoma Park Community Center.

See you there!

Happy New Year and Save the Date!

Its probably too soon to be thinking about Valentine's Day but please don't forget to save the date for our next concert!

      Saturday February 15 at 7:30 pm
      Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium, Takoma Park, MD

Our program is All American though don't expect the Stars and Stripes. This is something a little different from composers living in our lifetime who use folk, jazz and classical genres to uniquely influence each piece.

     Mark O’Connor - Appalachia Waltz

     Charlie Barnett - String Transparencies

     Lou Harrison - Suite for Symphonic Strings

Its an exciting opportunity to hear some fabulous pieces and a chance to learn more about, and possibly hear from, some of the composers themselves.  We'll be posting more about the program in the coming weeks.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Rehearsals October 2013