SHEFFIELD — With all due respect to the many fine classically trained musicians based in the Berkshires (many of whom are household names on other continents), it must be said that many Broadway pit musicians have skills not commonly found within the ranks of major symphony orchestras. That’s because they spend so much time playing show music in addition to the standard orchestral repertoire familiar to their peers. In addition, many pit musicians know how to improvise on their instruments, which is an indispensable (even mandatory) capability when it comes to performing jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, and other styles of popular music commonly heard in Broadway productions. Four such players will appear in the pavilion at Sheffield Town Park Saturday, June 11, at 4 p.m., for a chamber music recital presented by Lich Gate Concerts for Christ Trinity Church.
“But, please, sir! What in heaven’s name is a Lich Gate?”
According to Christ Trinity Church, presenter of this concert series, a Lich Gate is a covered gateway found at the entrance to an English-style churchyard. They say it marks the transition from the secular world into the sacred: “This concert series seeks to transport us from the humdrum of ordinary life and into the realm of music, which has the power to speak directly to our souls.”
The four musicians performing on June 11 are violinist and Lich Gate Artistic Director Jorge Ávila, violinist Rachel Handman, violist Orlando Wells, and cellist Sarah Hewitt-Roth. The presenter states that these players are “New York-based,” which turns out to be a simple way of saying that most of them have extensive Broadway credits in addition to their innumerable orchestral and chamber ensemble associations.
Sheffield resident Jorge Ávila has played a lot of interesting gigs in his career, but serving as concertmaster to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, in a televised Mass held at Yankee Stadium, must be one of the most memorable. Before becoming a U.S. citizen, the Honduras-born Ávila received his green card under the “extraordinary talent” category. His repertoire includes all of the major violin concertos.
Ávila won the Omar del Carlo Fellowship at The Tanglewood Music Center and First Prize at the 2001 Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition. He is concertmaster of the Ridgefield Symphony, Distinguished Concerts International New York, and the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series.
Violinist Rachel Handman is comfortable with classical, bluegrass, Irish, pop, and folk music. (That means she knows how to improvise.) Having toured Mexico with Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, and Germany with the shows “My Fair Lady” and “On the Town,” Handman’s Broadway credits include “Dr. Zhivago,” “Something Rotten!”, “Miss Saigon,” “Carousel,” and “West Side Story.”
Violist Orlando Wells has performed or recorded with an impressive list of popular artists: Mariah Carey, John Legend, Rihanna, Harry Connick Jr., Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and others — not to mention a long list of top Broadway shows: He is currently principal violist of the New York Pops, concertmaster of the Broadway show “Ain’t Too Proud,” and violist for Sweet Plantain String Quartet. (These kinds of gigs go to players who have not only great chops, but also exactly the right attitude.)
Orchestras Wells has played with include the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra, Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, Musica Sacra, New York Oratorio Society, Antara Chamber Orchestra, and the Ritz Chamber Players in Jacksonville, Florida. Wells studied with Michael Tree at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University as a double major on violin and viola.
Cellist Sarah Hewitt-Roth has served as principal cello for 12 Broadway shows, including the critically acclaimed revival of “West Side Story.” She is a member of the New York Pops Orchestra and performs regularly at Carnegie Hall as Assistant Principal Cellist of the New York City Chamber Orchestra.
Here is Saturday’s program:
• Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18
• George Frideric Handel’s Concerto Grosso No. 5, Op. 6 in D Major
• Allegro from Felix Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 2 in D Major
• William Grant Still’s “Lyric Quartet”
Tickets are $40 for pavilion seating (chairs provided) and $20 for lawn seats (bring your own chairs). Lawn admission is free for children under 18.
