Spring Concerts 2008: Clapper ClassicsMark your calendars for Clapper Classics, MACH's 2008 spring concerts with guest conductor Mark Bloedow!
Ticket prices: Advance tickets will be available at Borders Book Shops East and West, and at Orange Tree Imports, and may also be ordered by mail (please print an order form and mail with payment to MACH). Group tickets (10 or more) may be ordered in advance: Adults $10, Senior/Student $7. These are not available at the door; to order, please print an order form and mail with payment to MACH. MACH's 2008 spring concerts are co-sponsored by The Norman Bassett Foundation and The Wahlin Foundation on behalf of Stoughton Trailers.
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MACH's Past Performances:Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem
to say, "Throw cares away!" MACH entertained audiences in December
2007 with Carols of the Bells, a celebration of holiday tunes in
arrangements old and new, complete with harp and flute and organ (and
cuckoo and plastic trumpet!) * * * MACH's 10th Anniversary Concert for May 2007 presented
an evening full of Magical Memories, such as When You
Wish Upon a Star, The Swan, The Russian Sailors’ Dance, a medley of Gilbert
and Sullivan songs, and Bach’s famous Toccata in D Minor that graced Disney’s
movie Fantasia. The program opened by making new memories, with an exciting
piece called MACH 10!, commissioned from Hart Morris in celebration of
MACH's tenth anniversary. * * * To celebrate our 10th anniversary year, MACH presented
For Unto Us A Child is Born, Feliz Navidad, Danse Russe Trepak, Blue Christmas
and a host of other favorites from past holiday concerts. * * * For the May 2006 concert, MACH invited our listeners
to experience a Picnic in the Park. The music drew the audience
into a stroll past flora and fauna, followed by a sudden change in the
weather. The Maple Leaf Rag, Carousel Waltz, Mississippi Mud, Finale from
Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, and Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks
were among an array of pieces aimed at entertaining the entire family! * * * MACH's 2005 Christmas audiences were treated to
the melodious sounds of over six octaves of handbells and seven octaves
of handchimes playing holiday favorites in new, exciting arrangements.
Vocalists and other guest artists plus audience-participation caroling...
We all rang in the season with joy! * * * For Whom the Bells Toll. In May 2005,
as a take-off on a quote from John Donne ("Never send to know for
whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee"), MACH assembled an array
of pieces known by their characters' names -- or the names of their composers.
The audience enjoyed music ranging from songs in the popular movie Aladdin
to tunes by Cole Porter and John Williams, as well as Misty, the William
Tell Overture, the Overture to Figaro, the Overture to Tancredi, and a
favorite march of Barnum and Bailey's circus -- and that was only half
of the evening's memorable and exciting melodies! * * * MACH "rang in" the first weekend of December
with another Christmas Spectacular collaboration, with the Madison Symphony
Orchestra at the Overture Center. The following weekend was filled with
the "Bells of Christmas," as MACH presented its festive tradition
of an all-new holiday concert program, for the eighth consecutive year. * * * In May of 2004, MACH took the audiences on a musical
journey around the world with EXCURSIONS! Our listeners
could visit distant lands through their characteristic tunes and rhythms
without having to do all that packing and unpacking: the Caribbean islands,
Ireland, England, Africa, Russia, and Japan, to mention only a few. Performances
were preceded by gala dinners at the University Club and Imperial Garden.
* * * MACH began the 2003 holiday season with a well-received appearance in the Madison Symphony Orchestra's "Christmas Spectacular" December 6 and 7. MACH's four collaborations with the orchestra included: Ukrainian Bell Carol by Leontovych, arr. by Morden; Joyous Noel by Amundson; It Came Upon the Midnight Clear by Willis, arranged by Bartsch; and Sing We Now of Christmas arranged by Bass as an audience sing-along. In addition, MACH played a solo piece, Nutcracker Medley by Tchaikovsky, arranged by McChesney. MACH's seventh annual "Bells of Christmas" concert offered
a sumptuous array of carol-filled holiday sounds. Vocalists, percussionists,
a harpist and an organist accompanied the bells and chimes on various
selections, and the finale of the show featured Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of
the Flowers," with returning MACH alumni offering counter melodies to
the main group's performance. * * * Give our regards to Broadway! Razzle-dazzle from
beginning to end, MACH's Spring 2003 concert "SHOWTIME!" entertained
the crowd with well-loved themes from movies, musicals, and opera. Singers,
percussion and keyboards helped make every moment count. MACH performed
"SHOWTIME!" twice in Madison and once in Portage. * * * December 2002 brought the sixth year of "The
Bells of Christmas," with six full-choir performances, several additional
ensemble performances, and great attendance and enthusiasm from the audience,
particularly at our two ticketed concerts. Singers, harp, and a variety
of percussion augmented the holiday ringing cheer. * * *
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* * * MACH opened the Spring 2001 concert series in an exciting "new"
venue, as one of the first groups to perform at the newly-restored Stoughton
Opera House on Sunday April 22. Further Madison concerts were held on
May 5 and May 6, with additional performances at several retirement homes.
The spring theme was "All Creation Rings," celebrating creation
from light, air, water, to plants and animals and people! The concert
showcased six octaves of handbells, complemented by handchimes, organ,
and a wide variety of percussion -- from a snare drum to a referee's whistle.
* * * The 2000 holiday season began with a special treat -- MACH performed at the Civic Center with the Madison Symphony Orchestra for the Heartwarming Holiday Extravaganza, December 2nd and 3rd. We performed Go Tell it On the Mountain with 'Troika' from the Lieutenant Kije Suite, arranged by Linda McKechnie; Shepherd's Mosaic by John Bartsch; and Up on the Housetop arranged by Arnold Sherman. Our full-length concerts were held on Saturday December 9 at Asbury United
Methodist Church, and Sunday December 10 at St. Bernard Catholic Church.
The concert featured violin, harp, chimes, organ, percussion, glass windchimes,
and caroling (by choir and audience both)! Excellent attendance and much
holiday cheer made these concerts a joyful time for all. * * * MACH's Spring 2000 concert was performed May 14 and May 20, 2000. (3:00 pm on Sunday, May 14, at Christ Presbyterian Church and 7:30 pm on Saturday, May 20, at Asbury United Methodist Church). MACH also did a special performance for the Walnut Hill Bible Church
concert series in Baraboo, WI, at 6:00 pm on May 7. The church was planning
to begin a handbell program of their own, so the performance was designed
to instruct and inspire potential ringers and supporters of their program.
* * * Our 1999 Holiday Concert "The Bells of Christmas!", was performed Saturday,
December 11, at Asbury Church, and Sunday, December 12, at St. Bernard
Catholic Church. The concert featured many traditional Christmas songs
and works by such composers as Bach, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky, as well as
creative arrangements of holiday songs by contemporary composers. There
was something for everyone, including 6-octaves of handbells, ensembles,
percussion, harp, chimes, and audience participation in caroling. * * * Our 1999 Spring Concert, "Spring Rhapsody", was performed Saturday,
April 24, 1999 at 7:30 pm, at Asbury Church. A variety of music styles
were performed by the full six-octave choir and smaller ensembles. Transfiguration, an original composition for handbells by Michael Keller. This work expresses a wide range of emotion, which seems to parallel the changing of the seasons from winter into spring - from the depths of the lowest octave in largo tempo, to feverish agitation as the music seems to embody the temperament of the wind and rain of late winter. The tranquillo section of the work points to the peaceful changing of the seasons, and the piece finishes with a buildup to a glorious C major chord, portraying in sound the tremendous beauty and warmth of the sun and the promise of new life in spring. Spring Sea, an arrangement by Hirotaka Arai of Michio Miyagi's work. This piece features a distinctly Japanese flavor, with its exotic melody in choirchimes rising up out of the foam of the wave-like wash of its handbell accompaniment. You will undoubtedly be swept away by its elegant beauty. Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin's stunning orchestral piece arranged by Douglas Wagner. With its distinctly American sound, including the tumult of the city, the clickety-clack of the wheels of a train, and the whooping, laughing clarinet opening, the rhapsody amazed its first audience and continues to dazzle audiences today. Its intricate harmonies and complex syncopation challenge musician and listener alike. Listen to how the piece, traditionally performed by piano and orchestra, comes to life on handbells and builds on the marvelous sound of the work. * * * Our 1998 Holiday Concert, The Bells of Christmas, was performed Saturday, December 12, 1998, at Asbury Church, and Sunday, December 13, 1998, at Christ Presbyterian Church, The performance featured holiday songs and other music, both traditional
and contemporary, performed by eighteen MACH members as a full (thirteen-position)
choir and smaller ensembles, using 6 octaves of Malmark handbells and
4 octaves of Choirchimes® with organ, flute, and percussion accompaniment.
Uncommon Adoration, a dazzling original composition for 6-octave choir arranged by Hart Morris. With constant movement between 10/8, 3/8 and 5/4 time and rapid chromatic modulations, the rhythm and harmony of this exciting contemporary work are guaranteed to send more than just your tapping foot into motion! Passacaglia, a transcription for 6-octave choir of one of Handel's most majestic works. Have you ever heard the clarity of a tiny G-8 bell over the mellow ring of an enormous G-2? William Griffin's superb transcription of this intensely moving work showcases these bells in a setting which brings out the beauty of each octave's particular sound even while blending these voices over a stunning ground bass. Feliz Navidad, a medley of Catalonian, Puerto Rican and Spanish carols arranged for bells, choir chimes, castanets, snare drum, tambourine and triangle. From the boisterous foot-stamping of a gypsy flamenco dancer to the mellow tones of a Caribbean steel drum, this arrangement will carry you across borders and oceans to Christmas in other lands. * * * During 1998/1999, we also performed at Oakwood Village, at the Madison Downtown Rotary Club, at Madison Mennonite Church, prior to the Capitol Pageant at the Monona Terrace, at the Madison Club, live on WHA radio show, and at the Habitat for Humanity fundraiser at Esquire Theatre ("It's a Wonderful Life"). Music from our concert recording of last year was played on WERN radio. * * * In its first year (1997/1998), MACH gave two major concerts and performed at the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial celebration on the Capitol Square, the Monona Terrace, two nursing homes, a Shriner's dinner at the Madison Club, a wedding, and an anniversary celebration. Our Spring 1998 Concert featuring "Music of the Spheres" was Sunday,
April 26, 1998, 7:00 pm. The performance, celebrating musical styles from
all over the world and right here at home, was performed in space generously
provided by Asbury Church, Madison, WI. This was our second full-length
public concert performed by seventeen MACH members as a full (thirteen-position)
choir and smaller ensembles, using 5 1/2 octaves of Malmark handbells
(our thanks to AGAPE Ringers for lending the bass half of the sixth octave
for our use in this concert!) and 4-octaves of Choirchimes® with organ,
piano, harp, flute, piccolo, and percussion accompaniment and other surprises.
In addition to several private performances, we performed a 1997 Holiday
Concert for a standing-room-only audience of about 400 people on Saturday,
December 13, 1997, at 7:30pm, at Asbury Church in Madison, Wisconsin.
This was our first full-length concert, featuring holiday songs, both
traditional and contemporary, performed by fifteen MACH members as a full
(thirteen-position) choir and two smaller ensembles, using 5 1/2 octaves
of Malmark handbells and Choirchimes® with percussion, organ, and
French horn accompaniment.
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MACH
had audiences tapping their toes with the Spring 2002 concert, "Dancing
Bells." From samba to polka, from boogie-woogie to a Russian sabre
dance, the concert was packed with dancing delights. MACH performed May
3 and 4 in Madison; May 18 in Brookfield, WI; and June 27 in La Crosse,
WI, as the opening concert for the AGEHR Area VII Festival Conference.