Monadnock Music announces the 2020 “Virtual Village Concert” Series
In the last few months we have all come to realize the importance of the arts, especially music, to bring us together as a society as we grapple with the challenges imposed upon us in keeping ourselves, our loved ones, and indeed, all our neighbors, safe. We have launched a "Music Matters" Campaign where YOU can join the conversation on how music has played a part in this social distancing. Please share your story.
Another endeavor during this time is our "Music in the Time of Quarantine" - a virtual concert series where our performers share music from their living room to yours. We had over 1.5 thousand views on our first performance!
When grappling with the summer, Monadnock Music has remained committed to preserving our tradition of the Village Concerts in a way that will bring the joy and community spirit that is at the heart of these concerts every summer to our friends all over the region, and beyond.
The safety of our audiences and of our musicians and staff is paramount. We still cannot say for certain when the restrictions on gathering in large groups will be lifted, and we realize that there remains a high level of concern on the part of patrons and performers alike as to what may be the wisest way forward to insure the health and wellbeing of all. This has led us to make some decisions for both the short and long term which will help us to continue in our mission.
To that end, we are pleased and proud to announce our first (and, we hope, last!) season of six “Virtual Village Concerts” which will first be streamed via YouTube and Facebook, and subsequently available throughout the summer. This concert series, unlike the intimate low-fi experience of "Music in the time of Quarantine" will be produced with very high quality filming and audio recording. We plan to capture the sounds and sights of a Village Concert in a fully sensory satisfactory way!
In addition, we will be able to continue with our NEW "Listen And Lunch" series in Depot Square in Peterborough on Thursdays, July through August which still allows for proper social distancing. Finally, we are still planning to hold our August fundraising Gala (with fireworks!) at Aldworth Manor in Harrisville, by which time we are hoping that it will be prudent to gather a limited number of people together for a celebration in an outdoor venue. If restrictions on gathering ease up by mid summer, we have a few additional offerings that we hope to bring to the region.
While our original summer program budget had prepared for 18 live events, the costs related to creating 6 high-quality digital recordings as well as the other smaller offerings uses the entirety of that budget. Meanwhile, our fundraising abilities as well as ticket sales will be significantly limited. We hope you will consider making a special gift to sustain us this summer, and that our Members will renew their annual gifts. We have also prepared Covid-Care Packages for Members to help show our appreciation for their continued support.
Our biggest regret when reviewing what is possible this summer is that we have had to cancel the James Bolle Memorial Concert presentation of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in July. The safety implications of attempting to bring together 60 musicians and up to 100 chorus members, together with a potential audience of several hundred patrons, was just too great a risk to take. This was a very difficult decision to make and we did so with heavy hearts. Ticket holders, as well as our generous donors who helped us raise over 40k to produce this concert have been given the option to either be refunded their gift, or have it moved into our James Bolle Memorial Scholarship Fund.
We want to thank all of our friends for their support of Monadnock Music. We hope that our “Virtual Village Concert” series will bring you joy and give you strength in mind and spirit. Be well, stay safe, and we trust that we shall all be able to come together again soon to experience first hand the amazing and transformative power that is live music.
Please stay tuned as we announce the details of our Virtual Summer in the next coming days.
