By Margit Resch
Special to The Island News
What kind of music do you like? Classical music? Jazzy music? Piano music? Folk music? A variety of music?
If you like any or all of these musical styles, you must come to some or all of the concerts the Fripp Island Friends of Music (FIFOM) are offering this season. In response to the rave reviews by past audiences, we decided to bring back some of the musicians who engendered such praise. So you can be assured that every concert will be a pastime of more than one hour. Well, actually more, because there are treats scheduled for you around the concert.
Occasionally, half an hour before 5 p.m., when the main concert starts, local students will entertain us with their musical skills, and believe you me, we have some amazing talents in the Beaufort area, who appreciate the opportunity to present their accomplishments.
After every concert, you are invited to a reception where you not only get to chat with the artists, but enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres created by Harold’s Chef Services, and more. All of this for only $30 per event.
You may consider becoming a member of FIFOM and save $50 for the entire five-concert season. Great music, great food and great company five Sundays for only $100. A deal!
To become a member, or if you have any questions, call, text or email our Membership Chair Rebecca Climer at 615-594-1552 or RebeccaClimer@gmail.com. And see our website at www.frippfriendsofmusic.com
What is FIFOM offering this season?
Oct. 19: The Alexis Cole Trio will dazzle you with its sophisticated rendition of jazz standards and swing. Cole, a peripatetic singer and educator, rivals classic jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan. She has a dozen albums to her credit, won countless competitions, has performed in many different venues in many countries.
The trio includes Frank Duvall on bass and Ron Wiltrout on drums. Both are graduates from the University of South Carolina and members of The Charleston Jazz Orchestra. Duvall has performed with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, and he teaches jazz bass at the College of Charleston. Wiltrout is a much-in-demand drummer, as he is proficient in many genres.
It’s a pleasure, so he says, “when I spend a week playing six different gigs with six different groups playing six different styles or roles, and they all feel good and natural.”
Nov. 16: The only musician who is making his debut performance on Fripp this season is pianist Brian Woods. Following his first public performance at age 18, Woods maintains an extensive repertoire, from Beethoven’s Fifth to Chopin’s complete Ballades and, remarkably, groundbreaking compositions by women composers.
Hailed as “a musician of rare technical faculty and interpretive insight,” he has emerged as an exciting pianist and garnered international acclaim. While revered as a solo performer, he has recently played with esteemed orchestras such as the Gateway Festival Orchestra and the Belleville Philharmonic. His debut album, Wanderings (2024), already enjoys rave reviews. We can’t wait to hear Brian.
Feb. 1: Can you imagine mixing the folksy sounds of Appalachia with high energy Latin tunes and rhythms? That’s what Appalatin has done.
Six musicians, originally from several south American countries and Kentucky, combined their respective musical traditions and personal passions with inspirational results. Their performances with a variety of instruments — guitar, mandolin, upright bass, charango, indigenous Andean flutes, hand percussion, harmonica and vocal harmonies — have brought foot-stomping joy to listeners of all ages. And next year you will also be stomping your feet again. Again? Yes, if you saw them here three years ago you couldn’t help but stomp your feet. Their rhythms are contagious.
March 1: In the spring, Lindsay Deutsch, violin, and Jason Stoll, piano, will return to Fripp. “This powerhouse duo takes the crowd on a whirlwind journey through the hits of the centuries.”
Their unique repertoire, spiced with fun stories, starts with “rock stars” from the 17th and 18th century, such as Bach and Beethoven, and covers music you might have grown up with like Frank Sinatra, Elton John and Billy Joel. Deutsch has played with orchestras all over the world. She even has movie credits like playing the solo violin soundtrack for “The Good Shepherd” starring Robert De Niro.
Stoll, a graduate from Juilliard and the Royal Conservatory of Music, has made a name for himself, internationally, as concerto soloist, chamber musician and educator, covering almost all musical genres.
April 19: John McCutcheon will again honor us with his unforgettable presence. An American folksinger, songwriter, master of the hammered dulcimer and proficient in at least six other instruments, he is, according to Johnny Cash, “the most impressive instrumentalist” he had ever heard.
His eclectic catalog of ballads, children’s songs, love songs, topical satire, instrumentals and even symphonic works is among the most diverse in American folk music. It includes, of course, songs from many contemporary writers and his own creations.
“Christmas in the Trenches” is considered a classic and was recently named one of the 100 Essential Folk Songs by NPR, alongside “John Henry” and “This Land Is Your Land.” His 36 albums have earned six Grammy nominations.
We hope you will come and enjoy with us any or all of our music, music, music, music, music.
