Church Performance

On Sunday afternoon, May 23, I performed (what I entitled an interactive recital) at Martha's Chapel in Apex, North Carolina. Originally, Kristen (a talented young harpist) and I were planning to perform harp duets. This was to be our first of two harp duo concerts. Unfortunately, Kristen was unable to perform. Her older brother, Ryan was in a serious car accident on Saturday afternoon. Kristen of course was greatly missed Sunday afternoon, but Pastor Bob Brinson at Martha's Chapel has invited us back to perform a harp duo concert in the Fall. I will be sure to let everyone know the date and time we select.

Due to the limited time I had to change the recital program from harp duets to harp solos, I thought that having an interactive harp recital would be a fun way to engage and entertain the audience by performing pieces and/or songs that were familiar and/or special to them. The interactive recital involved recital attendees selecting 10 pieces and/or songs from a list of 20 pieces and/or songs to be performed during the recital. The recital attendees enthusiastically accepted this task and created a wonderful harp program with a variety of musical selections, ranging from classical to popular to religious. I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod, Canon in D by Pachelbel, How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You) by Holland/Doizer/Holland, Over the Rainbow by Arlen/Harburg, Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder, What a Wonderful World by Weiss/Thiele, You Raise Me Up by Lovland/Graham, Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Dorsey, When Peace, Like a River by Bliss, and Amazing Grace.

I was absolutely delighted to be able to perform for the wonderful audience at Martha's Chapel on Sunday, which included members of the congregation and local community that came to hear the performance. Thank you Pastor Bob for inviting me to perform and I look forward to performing again at Martha's Chapel in the Fall with Kristen!

Pray for Ryan

Kristen (a talented young harpist) and I have been practicing diligently for the past few weeks preparing music for our harp duo concerts at Martha's Chapel in Apex, NC on May 23 and Abernethy Laurels in Newton, NC on June 13. Unfortunately, Kristen will be unable to perform at our first concert this Sunday. Her older brother, Ryan was in a serious car accident this afternoon. My thoughts and prayers are with Kristen and her family during this challenging time. I will still be performing in Apex tomorrow afternoon, but of course it will not be the same without Kristen's beautiful music. Please pray for Ryan and Kristen's family during this difficult time.

Nancy & Joe

Congratulations to Nancy and Joe on their marriage! Nancy and Joe were married on Saturday afternoon, May 22, in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Newton, North Carolina. Nancy and Joe were married underneath a beautiful white arbor overlooking the vast countryside. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections, including Canon in D, O Perfect Love, and You Raise Me Up. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the entrance of the pastor and groom and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Despite the early morning showers, the weather (of course) was perfect for Nancy and Joe's wedding! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful May wedding!

Courtney & Rick

Congratulations to Courtney and Rick on their marriage! Courtney and Rick were married on Saturday morning, May 22, in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at McComb Park in Hickory, North Carolina. The morning rain lifted just in time for Courtney and Rick to be married in front of the beautiful white gazebo overlooking Beaver Memorial Garden. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections, including Clair de Lune, At Last, and Can't Help Falling in Love. For the seating of the mothers, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod. For the processional, I performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, Over the Rainbow by Arlen/Harburg for the entrance of the flower girls, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous May wedding (sans rain)!

Sonya & Brandon

Congratulations to Sonya and Brandon on their marriage! Sonya and Brandon were married on Saturday evening, May 15, 2010 in a beautiful indoor wedding ceremony at Hobson's Lodge in Richmond, Virginia. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections, including Canon in D, How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You), and You Raise Me Up. For the seating of the mothers, I performed Psalms 19 by Marcello. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the entrance of the bridal party and Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed How Beautiful by Twila Paris for the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful May wedding!

I'd also like to share with you a beautiful poem from Sonya and Brandon's wedding program.

Yesterday
We discovered love,
gently unfolding in our hearts,
whispering of the joy to come.
Today
Our dreams will come true,
creating memories that
we'll cherish for a lifetime.
Tomorrow
We begin a new journey
hand in hand,
eager to explore
a world of promise.
Forever
We will share
an everlasting love
that could come
from God alone.

Sweeney Todd, Mother's Day & GRADUATION!

This weekend, I performed with in the orchestra for Bandys High School's musical production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Catawba, NC on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. I performed the harp part with Austin, one of my harp students at The NewArt School in Newton. This was Austin's first experience performing orchestral music and she did an excellent job! Austin and I had so much fun working with the talented students at Bandys and participating in such a wonderful musical production!

On Sunday, May 9, I performed at the Lutheran Home Hickory West in Hickory, NC for their Mother's Day Tea for residents and visiting family members. I had so much fun performing at this wonderful event! I performed popular, religious, and classical favorites, including Amazing Grace, What a Wonderful World, and Over the Rainbow. Thank you Wendy for inviting me to be part of this special event. I was delighted to be able to perform for the residents and their families on Mother's Day!

In other news, I graduated on Thursday, May 6 from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina with a Master of Social Work degree! This is a goal that I have been working towards for the past two years and I was honored to be able to walk across the stage and obtain my Master's degree! For the next few months, I will be focusing on performing, teaching, and getting ready for the arrival of Baby Ludtke! There are also some great music projects in the works that I will be excited to share with you in the near future!

Denice & Gerard

Congratulations to Denice and Gerard on their marriage! Denice and Gerard were married on Saturday evening, May 1, 2010 in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at The Hall and Gardens at Landmark in Garner, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of popular music, including How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), From this Moment On, What a Wonderful World, and Over the Rainbow. For the seating of the mothers, I performed Psalms 19 by Marcello. For the processional, I performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder for the sand ceremony and The Lord's Prayer by Malotte for communion. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun being a part of this beautiful garden ceremony on such a perfect Spring day! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous May wedding!

I also thought I'd share a photo of Baby Ludtke and I getting ready to go to Denice and Gerard's wedding in Garner. My husband and I can't wait to meet Baby Ludtke in July!