Table of Contents
The following was submitted by the Winchester Unitarian Society:
Winchester Unitarian Society kicks off its 19th annual concert series on Friday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m., with “A Little Night Music,” a piano concert of works inspired by the night from multiple music traditions.
Conceived and performed by pianist and WUS Music Director John Kramer, “A Little Night Music” features classical, jazz, and ragtime music by composers ranging from Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt to Thelonius Monk, Bill Evans, and William Albright.
The concert will be held in the Winchester Unitarian Society sanctuary, 478 Main St.
It will also be live-streamed.
“There’s so much wonderful music about the night, from many different music traditions,” Kramer says. “The theme generously allows for an intermingling of different styles in a way that other programming sometimes restricts.”
Kramer also planned the concert for late fall, “as nighttime is taking over. The nights are long from now until the spring,” he points out, adding “Let’s celebrate what it has to offer.”
Kramer notes that much of the music of the night is quiet and performed at a slow tempo — qualities concert goers will recognize in Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” the first movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” and Chopin’s Nocturnes Op. 48, No. 1 & 2.
But not all pieces on the program share this sense of tranquility. Kramer will also perform Liszt’s technically challenging “Will-o’-the-Wisps” etude depicting creatures of the night, Thelonious Monk’s funky “’Round Midnight,” William Albright’s adventurous “Dream Rags,” Wayne Shorter’s upbeat “Night Dreamer,” and Hazama’s improvisational “Under the Same Moon,” among others.
Pianist, composer, and arranger Kramer has performed widely throughout the U.S., as a soloist, in small jazz and chamber music groups, and in orchestras. He has written music for piano, organ, and choir and has received numerous commissions. In addition to his role as music director at Winchester Unitarian Society, John is on the faculty at Berklee College of Music, where he is an assistant professor in the Harmony Department.
Suggested donations at the door are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $5 for students. Masks are optional.
The venue is handicapped accessible, and street parking is available.
Click here for a link to the livestreamed concert.
For more information, call 781-729-0949.
