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Program Notes

Radiance and Fire – November 2 & 3, 2024October 22, 2024 - 11:21 am
Henry Cowell (Born in Menlo Park, California, in 1897; died near Woodstock, New York, in 1965) Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 For Oboe and Strings Henry Cowell was one of the first modernist American-born composers, and his ideas and works spread their wings far across the musical landscape. Among his students, supporters, and devotees […]
Ancient Airs and Dances – September 14 2024September 5, 2024 - 1:12 pm
The guest artists for this concert do not use written notes; instead, they prefer to talk directly with their audiences about the works they perform as their concerts proceed so we not have written program notes for this concert. Instead, they have provided a detailed history of the instruments used in the concert: ABOUT THE […]
The Friends Go Fishing! – May 18 & 19 2024May 20, 2024 - 11:11 am
Click here to download the PDF of May’s Program Notes.
The Brandenburgs Are Coming Over! – March 23 & 24 2024March 19, 2024 - 12:10 pm
Johann Sebastian Bach (Born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685; died in Leipzig, Germany, in 1750) Bach’s Time in Cöthen, Germany German composer Johann Sebastian Bach was employed between 1717 and 1723 as the kapellmeister (music director) for the court of Prince Leopold of Cöthen (now central Germany). It was a significant time for Bach since […]
Winter Moonlight – March 16 2024February 14, 2024 - 2:36 pm
György Sándor Ligeti (Born in Diciosânmartin (renamed Târnăveni in 1941) in Transylvania, Romania (then part of Hungary) in 1923; died in Vienna, Austria in 2006) Sechs Bagatellen (“Six Bagatelles”) Allegro con spirito György Ligeti was one of the 20th century’s great composers, and one of its most innovative. Though his music was typically in the […]

Recent News

FRIENDS OF MUSIC DONATE MUSIC SUPPLIES TO SHEPHERDSTOWN DAY CAREMay 6, 2020 - 6:11 am
The Friends of Music have donated a variety of musical instruments and supplies to the Shepherdstown Day Care Center. The Center had requested the items to restart a musical activities program that had lapsed because of a lack of funds. The items that were donated included a 15-player rhythm band kit; a Tom Boy drum […]
FRIENDS OF MUSIC DONATE MUSIC EQUIPMENT TO SPRING MILLS HIGH SCHOOLFebruary 28, 2020 - 5:10 pm
The Friends of Music have donated musical equipment to Spring Mills High School in Berkeley County. The donation, which was made January 31, consisted of four adjustable, folding stools for use by bass players in the school orchestra. Dr. Jeannine Sturm, music teacher at the school, requested the stools. She said they were needed to […]
FRIENDS OF MUSIC DONATE UKULELES TO N. JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLFebruary 6, 2020 - 1:07 pm
The Friends of Music donated 15 ukuleles to North Jefferson Elementary School in Kearneysville on January 13. The donation was part of an ongoing effort by the Friends to support music education in area schools. Music teacher Katie Madrid had requested the instruments, which will help her students learn to read music and to apply […]
FRIENDS OF MUSIC DONATE XYLOPHONE TO MARTINSBURG SCHOOLJanuary 16, 2020 - 8:17 pm
The Friends of Music have donated a xylophone to Rosemont Elementary School in Martinsburg. The donation is part of an ongoing effort by the Friends to support music education in area schools. The school’s music teacher, Patricia Cooper, had requested the instrument for use in all her classes, from pre-Kindergarten through Third Grade. She said […]
FIFTH ANNUAL “PUZZLE MANIA” JIGSAW PUZZLE COMPETITION SET FOR FEBRUARY 9January 2, 2020 - 11:21 am
The Friends of Music are sponsoring their Fifth Annual “Puzzle Mania” jigsaw puzzle competition in Shepherdstown the afternoon of Sunday, February 9. The event will be a fundraiser for the Friends and their Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra. It will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Shepherd University Wellness Center on the West […]