“Deep and Wide” Musical Resources at ACP – Sunday, 11 October

Just about every Sunday afternoon you can attend a free chamber music concert in the lovely warm (and acoustically decent) theater of The American Church in Paris. Local and touring professional musicians perform, and the fine concerts are always enjoyable (as well as being a great deal!). Most stores and many restos are closed on Sunday afternoons/evenings, so if you’re looking for something to do, consider these!

Today the concert was in the sanctuary and the performers were all parishioners of the church – wow, what deep and broad resources they have there! The choir, handbell choir, four pianists, five fabulous sopranos, two organists, an 11-voice vocal ensemble, a clarinetist and a flautist all performed a widely varied, highly skilled and deeply moving program of classic, contemporary and even show-tune music. All they were missing was a hornist!

It turns out that Laurana Mitchelmore, the woman I spoke with after the morning service who I thought was “an accompanist,” turns out to be “THE accompanist” of the choir and multiple other ensembles. And she had told Fred Gramann, the church’s music/choir director & organist, and several of the other musicians about me – I wasn’t exactly a celebrity, but they all welcomed me warmly after the concert. I was delighted to speak with Mr. Gramann to tell him that I have enjoyed his organ performance and musical leadership for decades (as far as I can remember, he has been there just about every time I’ve visited in the last 30 years). The clarinetist was originally from Stillwater, went to Concordia Moorhead, and then continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music; she has lived in Paris for many years and teaches clarinet there. Small world!

Here are some snaps of the program (click on any photo to see a larger version). See what I mean?!? Be sure to look up what’s playin’ next time you’re in town - it's always listed on their website and in Pariscope (the weekly entertainment magazine that you can buy for 70 euro cents at every newsstand).  http://acparis.org/index.php/music-a-arts-76181/concerts-a-recitals-659