William Jackson
One of the Foremost Harpers of Scotland
Harp in Music Therapy 10:30-12:00
Traditional Scottish Music 1:00-2:30
Everyone brought or reserved a sack lunch
and enjoyed the beautiful day in Nelson County!
Virginia Schweninger’s Nelson County Studio
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MaryJo performed a beautiful rendition of Purcell's "Ground in F" this weekend at her schools annual talent contest. She was thrilled to learn that the judges awarded her a unanimous vote for the First Place Trophy out of a field of 16 very talented young people. Congratulations MJ!
Congratulations to Hope on receiving the Optimist Club award for "Excellence in Musical Accomplishments" for her Middle School.
Hope's musical interests and talents seem boundless. She is a member of our harp ensemble, "Harp Song of the Blue Ridge," performing this year at the hugely successful fundraiser, "Harps of Gold Concert." She also performed with the group at the Lynchburg Symphony's "Christmas & Candlelight" Concert.
Hope is a member of Cantate, the children's choir in Lynchburg, and in addition to the harp, she plays the violin, piano, flute, and performs in her middle school theater projects. We're very proud of Hope! Congratulations.
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Sage just played for her classmates for the first time. Her adorable performance was met with resounding applause, hoots and hollers and hugs from all her friends. Sage was very proud of herself and cheered like an Olympian at the finish line. Doesn't get any better than that! Congratulations, Sage.
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"More Snow, and a Little Night Music"
Sweet Briar Harp Instructor, Virginia Schweninger, and Flute Instructor, Lynn Buck perform together at the Fringe Festival this year.
http://blog.president.sbc.edu/?p=2060
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Virginia Schweninger, Harpist, and Lynn Buck, Flutist, both adjunct music instructors at Sweet Briar, will perform at the Fringe Festival at Sweet Briar College on Thursday, February 4th. Follow this link to further information about the Festival.
http://www.sbc.edu/news/items/8928
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Virginia Schweninger, Harpist, performs with flutist, Lynn Buck, at Sweet Briar's Quirky Fringe Festival
Every year, at Christmastime, HarpSong of the Blue Ridge performs for the Seniors of Nelson County. Students from Tye River Elementary School and recently, North Branch School, join in on the fun. These are wonderful pictures that tell the story of one such concert at the Earl Hamner, Jr. Theater.
HarpSong's Annual Christmas Concert takes place this year at the Rockfish Valley Community Center. All are invited to attend for free.
http://rockfishvalleycommunitycenter.memberlodge.com/Default.aspx?pageId=488076
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All of the Arts organizations in Charlottesville rallied behind
the "Harps of Gold" concert making it the huge success it was!
Over $12,000 was raised by the Wednesday Music Club
to support talented young local musicians.
http://charlottesvillearts.org/blog/harps-of-gold-concert
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"Somewhere in Time" receives Third Place Award for Best Solo Instrumental Album of the year in Nashville!
The Just Plain Folks Music Awards screened more than 560,000 songs and 42,000 albums in 90+ genres from over 160 countries to honor the very best works of the many independent artists in the competition. Judges included a mix of over 10,000 Music Industry Professionals, Music Fans, Musician and Songwriter Peers.
The only criteria that was given to the judges was . . . "Does this music move you?" That's what it's about for me, so I am a very happy and thankful person right now!
My husband, Dave, the love of my life, just said he "thinks that's just flat frigging sennnnsaaaational!" So now, also thanks to my wonderful hand surgeon, Dr. Christopher Hersh, I'm preparing to record my second CD.
Love and Blessings to you all,
Virginia Schweninger
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Harp Instructor Honored for Album
Schweninger, ensemble to perform Nov. 1 in Charlottesville benefit concert
BY SUZANNE RAMSEY College relations staff writer
A musical recording by Sweet Briar College harp instructor Virginia Schweninger has been recognized as one of the top solo instrumental CDs of the year by Just Plain Folks, a group that bills itself as “the world’s largest grassroots music organization.”
“Somewhere in Time” was one of 10 CDs nominated in the “Solo Instrumental Album” category, which qualified the harpist and her CD for a Just Plain Folks Award. The awards — given in dozens of album categories from rockabilly to storytelling, as well as for songs, lyrics and videos — were presented this past weekend in Nashville, Tenn.
Schweninger’s album took third place.
Since 1999, Just Plain Folks has recognized recording artists from around the world. In her genre, Schweninger was up against musicians from several U.S. states and Germany and Australia. She was nominated by the people at CD Baby, where her album can be purchased and downloaded, and judging was conducted by music industry professionals, fans and peers.
“Somewhere in Time” is Schweninger’s first album, and it was the first time she’d been up for a Just Plain Folks Award. “I was completely stunned and amazed,” she said of the nomination, although she admitted to initially questioning the validity of the honor.
“It took me about two to three weeks before I believed it. I started checking it out and calling friends. A good friend of mine is a Hollywood rep [for composers] and she said, ‘Oh yeah, it’s the real thing.’ So then I believed it.”
The playlist on Schweninger’s CD is an eclectic mix of classical and contemporary music — everything from Bach’s “Prelude No. 1 in C” to the title track, the theme from the movie “Somewhere in Time.”
Although her repertoire was born of a variety of genres, Schweninger said, her “heart is in the contemporary music,” which makes her recent nomination even more poignant. “This, to me, is so inspiring. … It suddenly just makes what I’m really good at enough. I don’t have to try to be a harpist that I’m not.”
Schweninger is currently at work on a second album of jazz, pop and light classical pieces that have become popular with her audiences, including Etta James’ “At Last,” “What a Wonderful World,” music from “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Pocahontas,” Vivaldi’s “Winter’s Largo” and Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
She also is planning “Harps of Gold,” a benefit concert for the Wednesday Music Club. According to Schweninger, the club raises money to “provide music scholarships and music camp scholarship for talented young musicians, all based on adjudicated competitions. We also provide music lesson tuition assistance based on need.”
“Harps of Gold” will feature Schweninger’s harp ensemble, Harp Songs of the Blue Ridge, playing golden harps made in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Sweet Briar student Caroline Rainey will play with Harp Songs, and Claire Wittman, daughter of associate professor of theater Loretta Wittman, will sing Schubert’s “Ave Maria” accompanied by a harpist on an 1800s-era instrument.
The concert begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1 at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville. Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for children 15 and younger. For information or tickets, contact Charlotte Burns at (434) 975-1132 or WednesdayMusicClub@hotmail.com . Tickets also are available at Music & Arts, 1512 Seminole Trail, Charlottesville.
To hear a preview of “Somewhere in Time,” click here.
Story posted by
SUZANNE RAMSEY on 09/01/09