A Special Wednesday Morning Music Club tour has been set up just for us thanks to David Hammond. So don’t miss your chance to take this virtual tour of the new KMFA facility.

To pick up the link for the virtual tour, see the October newsletter Noteworthy in your email inbox or on this website.

After broadcasting from leased space for 52 years, KMFA is getting a new permanent home. They have purchased land adjacent to the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center (RBJ Center) as part of a mixed-use development just east of I-35 on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake. The planned 18,000-square-foot building will open in late 2020, tripling the size of the current KMFA studios and allowing for new amenities including performance and recording spaces.

The redeveloped RBJ Center will open up myriad opportunities for growth and engagement. The new “urban village” will be home to retail, offices, market rate rentals, and affordable housing on its 17.8-acre site.

I deeply regret that we haven’t seen each other in months now. We had such a great beginning in the fall with our luncheon, followed by excellent programs at First Unitarian Church, which seems to work well for us, and at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church. Then suddenly in March it came to a screeching halt! 

Though we were unable to meet together, the Board has been in contact virtually and has begun discussions about how to proceed this coming fall with the safety of our members and performers being of paramount interest to us. 

First, let me bring you up to date about the decisions the Board has made:

1) Submissions for the Fielder Grant Competition will proceed as in the past. Judging will not occur until spring 2021 which gives us time, should a change in procedure become necessary.

2) Submissions received for programs for the upcoming year have been very few, so the deadline for submission may need to be extended beyond June 15th.

3) Upon the recommendation of the Wilcox, Maurer, Rudd and Putter Committee, all ten high school Seniors who had entered the contest will be given an award of $500 each. These students have worked very diligently and such diligence deserves to be acknowledged and rewarded.

4) The WMMC is making a gift of $1000 each to KMFA and to Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).

5) The yearbook format may be changed somewhat for next year, but it should be completed around August 1st.

These were decisions the Board felt comfortable making without input from the WMMC membership.

The difficult part of the Board’s job cannot be completed without some input from you. We wonder whether to plan meetings again in the fall, wait until early 2021 to begin, or some other variation. Therefore, we would like for you to help us by answering the following questions. Keep in mind what the church decides about utilizing their meeting space will play a critical role in our decision-making.

1) If we begin in the fall, would you likely attend meetings?

2) If we wait until early 2021 would you be more likely to attend meetings?

3) Would you feel more comfortable waiting until fall of 2021 to begin meeting again?

Our plan is for a WMMC Board member to make personal contact with each of you. We want to know how you’re doing and what you’re doing. Please be thinking about how you would like to see WMMC move forward.

In addition to this report, I cannot express too strongly how important it is for you to pay your dues. The work of the National Federation goes on and we are part of that. We encourage you to retain your membership, whether active or associate, in the WMMC and to remain engaged as a member by sharing your suggestions and thinking with us.

Very truly yours,
Sarah Harriman, WMMC President 2019-2021

Stay Home and Stay Safe

Piano Program

Fantasie in F Minor, op. 103 by Franz Schubert performed by Felicity Coltman and Kaitlin Lalmond

Andante expressivo from Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, op. 5 by Johannes Brahms performed by Isabelle Lipovski

Anyone for Tennis?, Baroque for the Blues, and Benodet Breeze by Mike Cornick performed by Marcia Edwards, Felicity Coltman, and Kathryn Govier

Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor by Frederick Chopin performed by Brian Grothues

Program

Allegro from the Concerto in A Minor for Two Violins op. 3, no. 8, RV522 by Antonio Vivaldi performed by Ruby Jane Smith and Gregory Shields, violinists with the Silver Strings Orchestra, Katie Kerwin, director

Concerto in G Major, K.313, III. Rondo: Tempo di Menuetto by W. A. Mozart performed by Sheryl Goodnight, flutist and Stephen Burnaman, guest pianist

Largo, Con spirito, Lento, and Vivace from Divertimenti da Camera by Giovanni Battista Bononcini and Largo, Presto, and Largo from Sonata Seconda by Giovanni Battista Fontana performed by Marianne Weiss Kim, recorder, Gregory Eaton, harpsichordist, and Angela Smith, cellist

Allegro vivace from the Cello Sonata, No. 2 in F Major, op. 99 by Johannes Brahms performed by Terri Freeland, cellist and Angelica Lopez, pianist

Prelude in G Major, op. 32, no. 5: Prelude in B-flat Minor, op. 32, no. 2: Etude in E-flat Minor, op. 33, no. 3: and Prelude in G-flat Major, op.23, no. 10 by Sergei Rachmaninoff performed by Timothy Woolsey, pianist

PROGRAM

Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 by J. S. Bach performed by Gena Tabery, organist

Medley of Hymns: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; Take My Hand Precious Lord; Song of Promise; Amazing Grace performed by Carol Koock, pianist

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth by G. F. Handel and “Oh, Had I Jubal’s Lyre” (from Joshua) performed by Elise Ragland, soprano, and Maxine Gomes, guest pianist

Archangel Suite : I. Michael, II. Gabriel, III. Raphael, IV. Uriel by Craig Phillips performed by Gregory Eaton, organist

Morning Has Broken, Old Gaelic tune arr. by Joel Raney performed by Carolyn McColloch, pianist and Maxine Gomes, guest pianist

Meditation on “Samanthra” and Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal by Paul Keith performed by Paul Keith, organist

A Concert Featuring American Women Composers

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10 AM

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, 4700 Grover

Program

David Hammond from KMFA will speak about the new home for KMFA.

Letters of Clara Schumann read by Michelle d’Arcy

Meditation by Melanie Richards performed by Melanie Richards, pianist, and Tony Rogers, guest cellist

Duet: Conversation for Two by Melanie Richards performed by Rachel May, violinist, and Terri Freeland, cellist

Poems by Karle Wilson Baker from “My Green Tree”: 4. A Clear Night and 7. Texas Cowboy and a poem by Fenton Johnson: In the Evening (duet) – all put to music by Carlie Burdett and performed by Elise Ragland, soprano, Fran Rush, alto, and Maxine Gomes, guest pianist

Mazurka, op 40, no. 3 and Dreaming, op. 15 by Amy Beach performed by Felicity Coltman, pianist, and Barbara George, cellist

Program

Christmas Song Medley: Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson, Jingle Bell Rock by Joseph Beal and James Boothe, and All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff performed by the guest Jollyville Brass Quintet whose members are Michael Crosa, percussionist, Brian Routson, trumpeter, Brian Green, trombonist, Richard Dayries, trumpeter, and Daniel Najera, trumpeter

Silent Night by Franz Gruber, arranged by Lex de Azevedo performed by Rachel May, violinist, and Carolyn McColloch, pianist

Mille cherubini in coro and Il est ne le devin enfant by Franz Schubert and White Christmas by Irving Berlin performed by Charles Palmer, baritone and Kathryn Govier, pianist

Country Gardens by Percy Grainger, Still, Still, Still Ancient Welsh Tune, and Christmas Song by Mel Torme and Robert Wells performed by Marcia Edwards and Kathryn Govier, pianists

Hanukkah Sing-a-Long with Fran Rush, leader, and Greta Gutman, pianist

Christmas Sing-a-Long with Carol Dewar, leader, and Carol Koock, pianist