Sacramento concerts focus on what’s new and exciting in online performances

By Anthony Barcellos Special to The Bee

August 20, 2020 12:21 PM

The Sacramento Baroque Soloists will perform Concertos and Sonatas of Corelli, Telemann and Vivaldi. Sacramento Baroque Soloists

The Sacramento Baroque Soloists were all set in March to begin rehearsals for an ambitious new concert when the Fates upended the gameboard of life and chaos took over. The “Ecstasy of the Chaconne” concert would have been a collaborative effort featuring singer Robin Fisher and dancers from The Ballet Studio.

“It was agonizing to make the decision to cancel the concert with so many preparations in place, and such an interesting program,” said music director Lisa Lawson. With live performances impossible under pandemic conditions, Lawson and her colleagues immediately sought alternatives. “We’re putting effort into creating a safe, social-distanced recording environment which allows us to come together to play and to bring the intimate vibrancy of our music to our patrons in their homes,” she said.

Many music organizations and individual performers have gone online in partial compensation for the devastating impact of COVID-19 on their engagement calendars and to stay in touch with their patrons.

These connections are at the root of a series of August concerts involving the Sacramento Baroque Soloists, the Sacramento Guitar Society and the Great Composers Chamber Music Series. The online events will occur daily from Thursday, August 27, to Sunday, August 30.

“Our organization was already planning a few virtual events,” said Lili Williams, board member and past president of the Sacramento Guitar Society, “but we thought it would be a great idea to join forces to introduce our patrons to other art forms in our community. After hearing from some of our guitar teachers and performers, I lobbied our board to consider making our virtual event a Benefit Fundraiser Concert for our local musicians who are affected by this pandemic.”

Cellist Susan Lamb Cook has been leading a summer program for her “Rising Stars of Chamber Music” consisting of online lectures and socially distanced coaching sessions in her backyard. She plans to work with Lisa Lawson to create a virtual concert festival featuring the young performers.

“This mini-festival is an exciting venture into the great unknown, but both Lisa and I have been classical concert producers for many years, and we both feel up to the challenge,” Cook said.

While local ensembles scramble for virtual venues with which to serve their audiences, individual artists must also find ways to keep body and soul together in these difficult times. Sacramento soprano Carrie Hennessey is a seeker of silver linings and strives to make the best of it.

“I didn’t realize quite how burned out I was,” said Hennessey. “Concerts of different music almost every week is enough to make my head spin. Going back to the ultra fast-paced, overbooked life feels like I would be doing me and the music a disservice. This time is really allowing me to search inward about which projects to pursue and perhaps make tough decisions about those to let lie, so that the ones I’ve chosen to take part in really have the time needed to breathe and grow.”

As a voice teacher, Hennessey has joined the migration to online instruction of her students. Hennessey is also keeping her voice ready for the happy day when public performances return.

“I’m now beginning to sing more regularly,” she said. “Turns out, the voice is better than ever after the rest, emotionally and otherwise. I’m now really enjoying sitting at the piano and playing and singing things for fun!”