Looking for a fun way to spend your lunch hour? The Bach's Lunch series at Concord Community Music School is an interesting, educational and entertaining way to enjoy your midday meal. The school presents a lecture on the first Thursday of every month, and follows it up the next Thursday with a related concert.
Last week's lecture, “The Romantic Zeitgeist: Odysseys of Mind and Soul,” was presented by faculty member Paul Dykstra.
Dykstra lectured about the social liberalism and technological advances in the instrument-making field that allowed the flowering of the romantic period. He talked about the circumstances behind the composition of some of the period's pieces and discussed the commonalities in theme.
“It's getting at a place where we all feel connected, but we're not necessarily there. We want to get back there, and we can do that through music,” Dykstra said.
The focus was on composers Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Amy Beach and the later romantic period. Next week's piano performance, “Poetic Virtuosity,” by Catherine Dornan will feature those same composers.
Piano teacher and music aficionado Dick Anderson, of Concord, said he attends every Bach's Lunch session he can.
“I learn a lot by coming to the lectures and performances,” Anderson said. “It's a good format.”
The Bach's Lunch series runs from Nov. through June.
Here's a list of upcoming events at Concord Community Music School:
March 10: Poetic Virtuousity: Music of Liszt, Beach and Rachmaninoff, 12:10 p.m.
Studio Recital: Students of Bozena O'Brien (violin). 7 p.m.
March 11: Musicians of Wall Street Recital: Music of Beethoven, Prokofiev and Brahms. 7:30 p.m.
March 12: Studio Recital: Students of Paul Dykstra (piano). 1 p.m.
March 15: Voice Department Recital: Bella Voce. 7 p.m.
March 18: Student Recital. 7 p.m.
March 25: Chamber Music Concert: Music of Our Time and Place. 7:30 p.m.
March 26: Performathon and Community Open House. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call the Concord Community Music School at 228-1196 or visit ccmusicschool.org.
