Richmond Musicians Take Center Stage this Thanksgiving on WCVE Public Radio

There are many things for which we give thanks but sometimes those things closest to home are taken for granted or even forgotten.  That is not the case with Grete Dollitz who every year produces a Thanksgiving program that features performances by local musicians. Just wait til you hear what Grete has lined up for you Thursday, November 24th from 11:00 a.m.-3:0 p.m.

In the 11:00 a.m. hour, Grete will present Centenary United Methodist Church’s music program and a performance of rarely heard music by Antonio Leal Moreira. Stanley Baker, Director of Music for the church, found, translated from Portugese and presented with his choir Moreira’s Missa for 4 Voices. 

The Richmond Chamber Players will be heard at noon Thanksgiving Day with their performance of 'The Trout' by Franz Schubert.  Also that hour the Murray/Lohuis Duo will be featured in their performance of a Sonata for Virginia by Derek E. Healey. The sonata pays tribute to the first settlers in Virginia with an opening movement called the ‘Virginia Dale Pavane.’  Virginia Dale was the first baby born in the new world to colonists. The final movement of the work is called 'Croatoan' which makes reference the single word carved into a post by the settlers left behind by Governor John White. This lost group of settlers wil forever been known as “The Lost Colony.”

The Richmond Philharmonic and their director Robert Mirakian will be heard at 1pm in their performance of the Titan Symphony by Gustav Mahler. 

At 2:00 p.m. you’ll hear John Patykula and the VCU Community Guitar Ensemble perform an arrangement of Old Dominion folk songs by Frank Mullen. The VCU Guitar Quartet will also be featured playing selection's from Bizet's Carmen. Staying in the Spanish style pianist Russell Wilson offers El Albaicin from Isaac Albeniz Iberia. Rounding out this years’ Thanksgiving Day special will be Deborah Saidel’s performance of the Suite Modal by Ernest Bloch.

Have a wonderful and very happy Thanksgiving.