An Eclectic Mix of Music for your March Enjoyment

Claudia Pozin
Director of Development – Southwest Florida
Classical South Florida – 88.7

March is a month with extraordinary variety in the musical opportunities for you and all of your guests. Begin the month with French Choral Music and you can end the month with sentimental journeys either with Rebecca Richardson or Jodie DeSalvo. In between you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or the Ides of March – but if you have a choice I would definitely suggest St. Patrick’s Day.

For those that love Choral Music–you will want to begin the month with a concert at Trinity-by-the-Cove at 4 p.m. on March 1 – Faure’s Requiem will be performed featuring Boyd Jarrell, baritone and Michele Byrd, soprano.

Cambier Park will be busy with concerts – the Naples Concert Band performs twice – March 2 and March 23 both at 2 p.m.; and the Naples Jazz Orchestra will be performing on March 2 and March 16 both at 7 p.m. So March 2 you can spend the day downtown Naples – concerts at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. –wander around downtown, enjoy the galleries, have some dinner and then finish the evening off with Jazz at 7 p.m. –right back in Cambier Park.

Bower Chapel on the campus of Moorings Park has some interesting offerings this month –on March 3 their concert series will feature the “Bean Pickers” in a bluegrass hoedown – this group features a wide variety of American traditional music. (Note – if any of you went to Naples schools – you might recognize the bass player – he used to teach art!). Back at the Bower Chapel at the end of the month you will hear a wonderful vocalist-Rebecca Richardson and she will take you on a sentimental journey of the music of the 40’s and 50’s. The concert will feature tributes to the vocal groups of those years. If you would like to stay in the sentimental/romantic mood then made arrangements to attend a Night of Romance with Jodie DeSalvo at Artis-Naples. Jodie’s programs are always a treat and her personality brings a lot of joy
to all who attend.

For the classical music devotees’ Beethoven and Strauss are on the program on March 5-7 p.m at Artis-Naples; Classic Chamber Concerts will
feature Two Stylish Piano Quintets on March 9 at 8 p.m. at the Sugden Theatre.

One can never get enough Beethoven – so return to Artis-Naples March 15 or 17 for a concert featuring Beethoven and Mozart. But if Beethoven is not your favorite-Classic Chamber Concerts will feature Brilliant Mendelssohn on March 16 at the Sugden Theatre at 8 p.m.

But in keeping with the idea that Naples has something to suit everyone’s musical interests- the first musical written by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein – Oklahoma! will be playing at the Sugden Theatre presented by the Naples Players – March 4 through April 4. This much loved musical opened on Broadway on March 31, 1943 and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances.

The musical has been revived and won an Academy Award in 1955 for the film adaptation. It also won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1944. Artis-Naples will feature a film musical –Singin’ in the Rain as a part of their Pops series – March 10-14.

But probably the most well-known in March is St. Patrick’s Day – which is March 17; recognizing the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland. In 1903 St. Patrick’s Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. The first St. Patrick’s Festival was held in 1996. In Ireland by 2006 it had become a five day long festival. So you can be Irish (if you are not) for one day and join the thousands that celebrate the “wearing of the green.” The official parade in Naples will be on March 14 – down Fifth Avenue.

So whatever you chose to do – from blue grass to jazz to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day – remember to always keep your personal concert hall with you – 88.7FM.