Chamber Music Charleston Presents Picnic in the Park with the Phoebus Quartet

Press Release

Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) celebrates the launch of their new Youth Chamber Music Initiative with an outdoor event on Sunday, June 6th, 2021 beginning at 5:30 pm at James Island County Park.  The concert is presented free of charge, with a $2 per person fee to enter the park. 

Space is limited and reservations are required.  Reservations can be made directly at chambermuisccharleston.org or by emailing sandra@chambermusiccharleston.org.

The event begins at 5:30 pm with guests encouraged to bring their own chair and picnic to enjoy before the 6:30 pm.

“Picnic in the Park” features the debut of the “Phoebus Quartet,” comprised of students from the Charleston County School of the Arts who are participants of the CMC TWO mentoring program. For the June 6th concert the students will perform the complete “Emperor” String Quartet by Franz Joseph Haydn in addition to the single movement work “Crisantemi” by Giacomo Puccini and “Testimony” by Charlton Singleton.

Charlton Singleton, speaker, composer, arranger and member of the Grammy Award winning Ranky Tanky,  composed “Testimony,” as a commission by the legendary Kronos Quartet for their “50 For The Future” project.  “50 for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire,” is a string quartet commissioning, performance, education, and legacy project of unprecedented scope and potential impact designed to guide string quartets in developing and honing the skills required for the performance of 21st-century repertoire.

Mr. Singleton worked with the Phoebus Quartet on a recent Sunday in May for a special coaching on his work at the West Ashley Theater Center.  Students played through the work while receiving guidance and insight from Mr. Singleton.

As Mr. Singleton explains in the program notes: “Testimony is written from the Prayer Band experience, and from specific rhythms in African American churches and communities—the ‘Gullah Clap’ (on beats two, two-and, and four) and the ‘Half Clap’ (on beat one only).”

By working with Mr. Singleton, the students were able to have a greater understanding of the piece which will lead to an exciting, meaningful performance on June 6.

CMC’s Youth Chamber Music Initiative is a multi-faceted program bringing high quality classical music- based educational opportunities to students in the greater Charleston area.  For the 2021-2022 season three individual student ensembles will participate in the CMC TWO program, one facet of the Youth Chamber Music Initiative.  The student ensembles, including the Phoebus Quartet, will receive regular coachings from CMC musicians and guest artists while also participating in a variety of outreach activities.  Coachings and performances take place at the West Ashley Theater Center through the generous sponsorship of Charleston Stage.

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