By CATHERINE ELLERTON
Moapa Valley Progress
Four musical artists came together on Sunday, Nov. 5, to present the first of The Cliffrose Chamber Music Series at the Mesquite Community Theater. Barry Bowers (viola), Brent Pettit (cello), Josephina Romero (violin) and Walter White (violin) had come to know each other musically while performing with the So. Nevada Symphony Orchestra in Mesquite. Their mutual love of music drew them together to form The Cliffrose String Quartet. Romero and White are from Moapa Valley and Brent Pettit has played with the Zephyr Singers and Orchestra.
This first concert had something for everyone from Bach to Mozart to Dvorak and on to current songwriters Christina Perri and David Hodges, Leonard Cohen, the Beatles Lennon and McCartney and British band, Coldplay. A screen display at the beginning told the story of the music and composers. During the concert Greg Hamilton took on the chores of the narrator and each artist introduced themselves and how a certain selection was near and dear to them.
The concert earned the title Music For A Thousand Years in honor of the haunting lyrics of Christina Perri and David Hodges’ popular song “A Thousand Years” which was the opening piece to the concert.
Next this talented group took on Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043.”
Violist Barry Bowers introduced Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen’s extremely popular “Hallelujah.” This song was not successful when first released but as other artists began to record it this musical message became one of the most recognizable tracks of all time.
Next on the program was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Divertimento in D Major, K. 136.” This piece was written in 1772 during a down-time for the 16 year old composer. Following this complex work, this ambitious quartet took on a couple of pieces by John Lennon and Paul McCartney – “Lady Madonna,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and “Hello, Goodbye.”
Following a brief intermission, the 1890 “String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96,” known as “The American Quartet” by Dvorak was skillfully presented.
Violinist Josephina Romero introduced the final piece of the evening as it had been written by Coldplay in 1996 in honor of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s painting – a favorite and respected artist for Romero. Kahlo had suffered throughout her life, first with polio and then she was involved in a serious automobile accident that left her confined to bed. Yet, she found the desire and strength to follow her dream of becoming an artist. “Viva la Vida” means “Long Live Life.”
This amazing quartet will be joined by guest artists Jane Solomon (flutist), Gaye Nelson (harpsichordist) and Lila Williams (cellist) on Feb. 18 for a concert entitled “Brrr….! Brrravissimo!”
