Sherman Chamber Ensemble Plays Tchaikovsky and Bach for Labor Day Weekend Performance

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble concludes its 2014 Summer Concert Series today, August 29th at St. Andrew's Church in Kent and tomorrow, August 30th at the Lake Mauweehoo Club in Sherman with a program including a flute concerto by CPE Bach, Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence" and a new work for string sextet by SCE Artistic Director Eliot Bailen. Performers are Jill Levy and Ming Hsin (violin), Sarah Adams and Mary Hammann (viola), Eliot Bailen and Lindy Clarke (cello) and Susan Rotholz (flute).

"We are pleased to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the most prolific of JS Bach's musical offspring, with a delightful concerto featuring flutist Susan Rotholz," remarks SCE Executive Director Mary Rindfleisch. "We then jump ahead three centuries to present a brand new work by Eliot Bailen, commissioned by the Saratoga Chamber Players." Entitled "A Day in the Life of an Artist," the work was praised at its premiere this summer in Saratoga as "romantically lyrical," "soaring" and "dramatic." Rounding out the evening will be Tchaikovsky's String Sextet in D minor, known as the "Souvenir de Florence" because the composer wrote much of it on a sojourn in Italy during the summer of 1890.

Sherman Chamber Ensemble concerts are performed Friday evenings in the intimate and acoustically excellent St. Andrew's Church on Main Street in Kent, CT. Saturday evening performances take place in the rustic charm of the lakeside Mauweehoo Clubhouse on Leach Hollow Road in Sherman, CT. All performances start at 8:00 PM and are followed by a reception offering light refreshments and an opportunity to meet the performers.

Admission is $30 at the door ($25 for students and seniors). Reservations are strongly recommended and may be made by calling 860-355-5930. Advance tickets at a $5.00 discount may also be purchased online at www.shermanchamberensemble.org. For Sherman concerts only, lawn tickets may be purchased the night of the concert for $10 (bring your own seating or beach blanket).

A discount dinner and concert package for the Saturday, August 16th performance in Sherman is being offered by Amore Ristorante in Sherman Center. For $40, purchasers can enjoy a 6 PM seating with a special menu at, along with the concert at 8 PM. Call Amore at 860-210-1266 for reservations for the dinner and concert package.

Also taking place on Labor Day weekend are SCE's Annual "Bluegrass and Beyond!" free performances on Saturday, August 30th at 2:00 PM at the Lake Mauweehoo Clubhouse in Sherman and at 1:00 PM on Sunday, August 31st on the lawn at the Village Barn Shops in downtown Kent. Admission is free and reservations are not required. Bring your own blanket or beach chair for Sunday's performance in Kent.

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble was founded in 1983 to bring world-class live classical music performance to Western Connecticut and nearby New York State. Its summer chamber music series has been described in The New York Times as "about as close as it gets to the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert." Additional events coming later this year include the annual "Live at the Lake" coffeehouse; Thanksgiving weekend free jazz matinee performances; a Messiah Sing-in at St. Andrew's Church in Kent; and a major Song to Symphony residency and production at The Sherman School in the fall. Support for this season comes from many generous individual donors, the Kaplen Brothers Fund and other private foundations and local businesses.

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