Deanna & Chris

Congratulations to Deanna and Chris on their marriage! Deanna and Chris were married on Saturday afternoon, April 16, 2011 in the beautiful sanctuary at First United Methodist Church in Newton, NC. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and religious selections, including Be Thou My Vision, The Prayer, and Canon in D. For the processional, I performed The Nightingale by Henson-Conant for the seating of the mothers, First Arabesque by Debussy for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod for the lighting of the unity candle. Afterwards, I performed How Beautiful by Twila Paris with talented vocalist, Kristy Smith. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun being a part of this beautiful wedding ceremony. I have known Deanna since childhood and was so honored to be asked to be a part of her special day! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous April wedding!

The Motion of Stone

On Saturday afternoon, April 9, 2011, I performed "The Motion of Stone" with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Orchestra and Cantata Singers. This beautiful choral and orchestral work was composed by Kenneth Frazelle, a UNCSA faculty member. I was so excited to be part of this wonderful performance! Thank you UNCSA for inviting me to perform and be a part of this special performance.

Is it really almost April?

Is it really almost April? Where has the time gone? Here is a quick update on my harp activities during the months of February and March.

February
On Saturday, February 12, Kristen and I performed as a harp duo at a Valentine's Day event in Greensboro, NC. We had so much fun performing at this event and celebrating the holiday with a group of wonderful people! On Thursday, February 17, Kristen and I performed an afternoon harp duo concert at Jamestown Presbyterian Church in Jamestown, NC. We had so much fun entertaining the crowd with harp duets and educating them on the instrument!

March
On Wednesday, March 9, I performed for the Ash Wednesday service at Corinth Church in Hickory, North Carolina. It was a beautiful service and I was delighted to be a part of it. On Sunday, March 20, I performed at Saint James Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. I performed during the sermon presented by Rev. Diane Moffett titled "Soothing Your Soul." I had so much fun being part of such a creative sermon presentation! You can hear me play on the Saint James Presbyterian Church broadcast on Greensboro Channel 8 television station on March 29 at 6:00pm, March 31 at 9:30pm, and April 1 at 1:30pm. This Wednesday, March 30, I will be performing/presenting on the harp for 100 students at Oxford Elementary in Claremont, NC. I can't wait to share some great music with them and maybe inspire a few to play the harp!

April Preview
As for the month of April, I will be performing John Rutter's Requiem at First Methodist Church in Lenoir, NC on Sunday, April 17 at 5:00pm. I will also be performing at a few weddings, and completing my Kindermusik practicum to becoming a licensed Kindermusik educator (more on this in another post).

Ahhhh...It feels good to be caught up. As always, thank you for reading my friends! I will see you in April!

New Year - 2011

Happy New Year! On December 31, 2010, I performed for a New Year's Eve banquet at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary, North Carolina. I had so much fun performing for this festive event, as couples, families, and friends celebrated the gift of a New Year! My first performance of the New Year was Sunday, January 2, 2011. I performed at Corinth Reformed Church in Hickory, North Carolina for their morning services. It is always a pleasure to perform for the wonderful Corinth congregation! There is always something so refreshing about the start of a New Year. I am very excited to see what fun events and opportunities the New Year will bring! Lets hear it for 2011!

Happy Holidays & New Year!

December has absolutely flown by! I can't believe that Christmas had come and gone and the New Year is quickly approaching! December has been such a busy month that I have had no time to update the blog. Due to the snow storm that hit the South over the Christmas, I have now found some time to reflect on the exciting performances I have been a part of during the festive month of December. These include...

Sunday, December 5, 2010
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)
Symphony Orchestra Performance
Adcock Auditorium, Greensboro, NC

Saturday, December 11, 2010
Wedding/Ceremony Music
Millennium Center, Winston-Salem, NC

Sunday, December 12, 2010
NC Harp Ensemble Performance
WhiteStone, Greensboro, NC

Monday, December 15, 2010
Jewelry Show/Harp Performance
Trott House, Newton, NC

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Holiday Banquet/Harp Performance
WhiteStone, Greensboro, NC

Saturday, December 18, 2010,
Harp Performance
Hickory Furniture Mart, Hickory, NC

Sunday, December 19, 2010
Harp Performance
Abernethy Laurels, Newton, NC

Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Harp Presentation/Performance
Rotary Club of Newton-Conover
Catawba Country Club, Newton, NC

Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Eve Services/Harp Performances
Corinth Reformed Church, Hickory, NC
Bethel United Church of Christ, Hickory, NC
Grace United Church of Christ, Newton, NC

I have had so much fun performing at these wonderful events this month! I wish I had more time to go into detail about all of these exciting performances, but it just seems like the post would get much to long to actually read! I will continue to give in depth description of my performances in the New Year for your reading pleasure.

I am grateful to have been a part of so many wonderful performances in 2010! I can't wait to see to see what 2011 has in store, as I continue to travel, perform, and teach with a 80 pound harp in tow! Happy Holidays & New Year!!!

Holiday Repertoire!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! It is time to celebrate the holidays with seasonal music! Here is a list of some of my favorite music from my holiday repertoire! If you'd like me to perform for your holiday event, please contact me for availability and pricing. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU...

Angels We Have Heard On High
Away In A Manger
Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
Coventry Carol
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Deck The Halls
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
I Wonder, As I Wander
I'll Be Home For Christmas
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
In The Bleak Midwinter
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Holy Night
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Sleigh Ride
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Still, Still, Still
The Christmas Song
The First Noel
The Little Drummer Boy
We Three Kings of Orient Are
What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
Winter Wonderland
AND MANY MORE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday at Starmount Country Club in Greensboro performing for their delicious Thanksgiving buffet. Afterwards, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my entire family in Newton. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, enjoying great food and company!