🚀 go-pugleaf

Friday night, I was very fortunate to hear Handbell Ensemble Sonos 
in concert with mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade at Kofman Auditorium 
in Alameda, CA.  The program will be repeated with Sunday at 4 PM in 
San Francisco (details below).

For those unfamiliar, Sonos is a top-flight handbell group, 
raising handbell performance from an amateur to 
fully professional level.  This is the end of their 11th season; they
are based in the SF Bay Area but tour nationally and have appeared on 
numerous national radio and TV broadcasts, including 2 appearances on
Garrison Keilor's A Prairie Home Companion on National Public Radio.
For more information about the group, their web site is http://www.sonos.org

For me, this concert was like seeing Sonos for the first time, 
all over again!  I am so happy  I made the effort to attend -- 
both new and familiar music presented in a  unique format to a very 
receptive (and mostly new to handbells) audience. The audience was very 
enthusiastic, coaxing the performers into a number of encores.

This program has an eclectic yet cohesive theme.  I enjoyed the new work
Hell's Belles by Libby Larsen, but the real treat for me was the virtuosity of
Sonos' performance of all works combined with von Stade's interpretation
of the songs and texts; she's a wonderful performer, both powerful singer
and poignant actress.

For Sunday's presentation of this program, there are still plenty of 
tickets available.  This final performance is not a benefit, it is 
the finale of Sonos' home season  and largely underwritten by the group itself.  
In a sense, it is a benefit:  for Sonos!

I urge everyone within driving distance of San Francisco
to take the opportunity to see this, and bring friends!  
You will be rewarded with a stellar performance, and help 
fill the audience with support for Sonos as they move into their 12th season.


Details:

Sunday, July 1 at 4:00 PM
San Francisco, CA  Summer Home Season
Frederica von Stade, guest artist
First Unitarian Church
1187 Franklin St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tickets: http://www.sonos.org/events/tickets.php or City Box Office, (415) 392-4400
Ticket prices are tiered for this concert:  $25, $35, and $50

FREE tickets:  In the interest of filling the hall, 
comps are available to those who will attend were it not for the ticket price.  
please email me (gill@dreamsmith.com) by 9 PM Saturday (tonight!) with your full name and
a number of tickets, and I'll submit the list for complimentary seats to Sonos'
house manager.