Rad Percussion Christina Project

After much rehearsal and planning, we put up posters for my ragtime concert with Ensemble Evolution and Anna Larson.  This concert was to be mostly xylophone + marimba band repertoire, with some extra songs with added vocals and a couple of duos for Charles and myself.

We set up in the hall (Musikhögskolan Aulan) which turned out to be very resonant, quite different from our rehearsal space.  We adjusted our playing style to match the hall's acoustic.

The setup.  Xylophone and glockenspiel at the front, with vibraphone to the right and marimbas behind.  A microphone at the left was for Anna.

The concert went really well.  The audience was impressed, especially when Anna was singing (as we expected).  I feel like my performance skills have really improved and I'm able to communicate with the audience better now than ever.  I've reached a great stage in my playing where I know the songs and styles really well and can basically not read the music or look at my hands.  I take great inspiration from Barry Morgan.  My familiarity with the music and my loose wrists (currently loose anyhow), as well as my love for the music, make for fast, entertaining playing.  I hope.

There was a whiteboard behind the curtain where we wrote our setlist.  It is written in a language only we could understand!

The team: Anna Larson (soprano), Jacob Remington, me (Christina Hopgood), Charles Martin, and Maria Finkelmeier.

The setlist:

1. Nola (Felix Arndt, arr. Charles Martin.  Soloist Christina Hopgood)

2. Alabama Moon (George Hamilton Green, arr. Bob Becker.  Soprano Anna Larson)

3. A Foggy Day (Gershwin, arr. Hopgood/Martin)

4. Charleston Capers (George Hamilton Green, arr. Bob Becker.  Soloist Maria Finkelmeier)

5. Fluffy Ruffles (George Hamilton Green, arr. Becker/Hopgood.  Soloist Christina Hopgood.  Soprano Anna Larson)

6. Log Cabin Blues (George Hamilton Green, arr. Hopgood/Martin.  Soloist Christina Hopgood)

7. Knocking On Wood (Red Norvo, arr. Bill Cahn.  Soloist Christina Hopgood)

8. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael, arr. Hopgood/Martin)

9. Just A Kiss (George Hamilton Green, arr. Bob Becker.  Soprano Anna Larson)