A trio of local musicians will give audiences a head start on celebrating Cupid this weekend.
Chamber Music Amarillo’s Love Songs for Valentine’s will feature soprano Melody Rich, tenor Matt Oglesby and pianist Choong-ha Nam performing a repertoire of love songs. Kathleen Carter Bell, CMA’s newly named artistic director, gave me the scoop in a recent email chat. (This interview has been edited and condensed.)
Chip Chandler: Tell me a little about the repertoire? What songs can people expect to hear?
Kathleen Carter Bell: This concert is perfectly suited to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day! Most works on the first half of the program are lieder, or songs, which highlight the combined expressive power of singers, the piano and poetry. So often in chamber music we let abstract music do the talking, but in these pieces composers carefully chose text to set to their music, so there is something specific they want us as listeners to glean from their work. In this case, we hear all the longing and joy that accompany expressions of love. In the second half of the program, you’ll hear a variety of love songs from the musical theater repertoire—classic favorites our audience members likely know and love.
CC: Talk about your guest performers. Why are they so well-suited to this program?
KCB: I’m so excited to have Melody, Matt, and Choong-ha perform this program! They’re all such expressive performers who are skilled at bringing the meaning of the songs to life. These kinds of works need performers who fully commit to the story-telling within the music, and our soloists do just that.
CC: Will the concert just feature the two singers and the pianist, or will other musicians take part?
KCB: Our two vocalists and pianist are the only featured performers this time around. However, the music is so varied that they all wear many hats as we progress through the program.
CC: Why does music work so well in conveying emotions like love? In other words, why do we love songs?
KCB: As someone who enjoys teaching music history courses, I often marvel at just how many love songs have been written throughout the ages. Love is the emotion that more songs have been written about than any other. It’s such a potent feeling that I think we as humans can’t help but want to create art that speaks to that emotion. Music is, of course, perfectly suited to tapping into emotion, and when coupled with text, which is powerful on its own, you have a particularly moving result.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Amarillo Area Foundation, 919 S. Polk St., preceded by a HPPR-hosted pretalk at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $40. Call 806-376-8782.
This week’s other can’t-miss options:
“F— Around and Find Love in Art” open mic: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Idol Art Studio, 1201 S. Polk St.; 806-236-4128
First Friday Art Walk: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday; 3701 Plains Blvd.; free; 806-354-8802
Amarillo Bombers vs. Orlando Atletico: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Coliseum, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $20.50; 806-376-3096
Pride and Prejudice: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday; WT Happy State Bank Studio Theatre; tickets $15 adults, $10 seniors, free with Buff Gold Card. cur8.com/projects/17516, 806-651-2810 or artsboxoffice@wtamu.edu
Gorilla Zoe: 9 p.m. Friday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; cover
Horrid Demise with Stone the Sun: 9 p.m. Friday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Marvin Davis & Friends: 9 p.m. Friday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Amarillo Card Show: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday (rescheduled); Amarillo Civic Center Complex Regency Room, 401 S. Buchanan St.; topnotch-cardshows.com
The Repeat Offenders: 7 p.m. Saturday; Chalice Abbey, 2717 Stanley St., Suite A; $15 suggested donation; 806-576-2480
Los Tigres del Norte: 8 p.m. Saturday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Coliseum, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $70 to $160; 806-376-3096
Rak-45: 8 p.m. Saturday; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Straight Tequila Night: 8 p.m. Saturday; Bliss Horizon, 9700 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; tickets $20.37 and up; 806-676-8256
Cole Edward Phillips and Ty Blackburn: 9 p.m. Saturday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Logan Samford: 9 p.m. Saturday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Matthew W. Charles: 9 p.m. Saturday; The 806 Coffee + Lounge, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover $10; 806-322-1806
Rock and Roll Over: 9 p.m. Saturday; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; 806-412-4251
Movie options:
Opening Thursday: Horror flick Dracula, romantic dramedy Solo Mio, horror sequel The Strangers: Chapter 3 and horror flick Whistle (Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive, and Cinergy, 9201 Cinergy Square)
Special engagements: kid fave The Lego Movie 3D (through Thursday, Cinemark Hollywood 16); The Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogy (through Thursday, Cinemark Hollywood 16); inspirational drama Still Hope (Thursday through Monday, Cinemark Hollywood 16); concert film Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience (Friday through Sunday, Cinemark Hollywood 16); Time Hoppers: The Silk Road (Saturday through Feb. 13, Cinemark Hollywood 16)
