web address

Click here to go to the Saint John's website: http://saintjohnswilliamstown.org/

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time


























Audience members are invited to bring a lunch to eat; St. John's will provide drinks and cookies.

The Quartet for the End of Time was composed during an excruciatingly difficult time while Messiaen was captured and held in a German POW camp during World War II. The piece draws its inspiration from the Book of Revelation, birdsong, and the colors of the northern lights.  The first performance was held in the camp during the bleak winter of 1941 with Messiaen at the piano, and fellow prisoners playing violin, cello, and clarinet.  

Ensemble Chamarré sees to help the listener to experience the context of this extraordinary masterpiece of chamber literature by describing the conditions at the camp and details of Messiaen’s experience as it relates to the music. 

Click here to listen to Ensemble Chamarré  perform an excerpt from the Quartet.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Ive's "Concord Sonata"


The 14th annual Summer Noontime Concert series continues with a performance by Northampton-based pianist Andrew D'Antonio. The program consists of a single work, Charles Ives monumental "Concord" Sonata,
The concert is free - donations are welcome to help defray costs. Audience members are invited to bring a lunch to eat; St. John's will provide drinks and cookies. An intimate setting with lovely acoustics.

Concerts run on Mondays through August 21
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Primarily a chamber musician, Andrew D'Antonio seeks out a diverse range of repertoire, performing everything from Haydn and Janáček to Messiaen and Sciarrino.  Andrew has given dozens of recitals and performances throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Past highlights include recitals at SALT New Music Festival and Symposium in Victoria, BC; a tour performing Schubert’s Winterriese with Eduardo Ortiz, multiple recital tours with flutist Erin Dubois; and recent concert debuts in New York City and Boston.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Bach to BlackNotes: free piano recital


























Pianist Kyle Walker performs music of J.S. Bach and various African-American composers.
Audience members are invited to bring a bag lunch to eat.  The church will provide drinks and cookies.

 A strong advocate for social equality, pianist Kyle Walker believes music can speak to social issues better than verbal language can, the understanding of which he brings to both traditional Western repertoire and that of the living world-wide composers with whom he collaborates.
As an advocate of social justice Walker is a founding member and chamber music director of The Dream Unfinished, an activist orchestra which supports New York City-based civil rights and community organizations through concerts and presentations.
He is currently embarking on a solo performance project entitled BlackNotes, which aims to explore the divides and connections between White American and Black American Art Music. See and hear more of Kyle Walker’s musicianship at www.kylewalkerpiano.com.