Photo by Mason Callejas

Maricopa Music Circle’s spring concert “Rhythms & Tunes Across the Globe” samples melodies from four continents in a full-length program March 31.[quote_box_right]IF YOU GO
What: Maricopa Music Circle Concert Fundraiser: “Rhythms & Tunes Across the Globe”
When: March 31, 7 p.m.
Where: Maricopa Agricultural Center Conference Room, 37860 W. Smith-Enke Road
How much: $15/adults; $12/children age 12 or under (cash or check only)
Info: [email protected]; 520-316-6268[/quote_box_right]

In line with the music’s wide-ranging spirit and the flavor of dance that is often part of a nation’s unique artistry, several of the pieces will also be danced by members of the ONYX Contemporary Company, the dance troupe of Desert Sun Performing Arts.

The concert takes place at 7 p.m. at a non-traditional performance site, the University of Arizona’s Maricopa Agricultural Center.

The fundraiser evening embodies MMC’s tagline “Orchestra of Soloists” with music for the full ensemble plus individual and sectional solos. Musical inspiration comes from Trinidad, the Andes’ Lake Titicaca and Mexican volcano Popocatépetl, Nagasaki, Japan, Canada, Norway, Hungary, France, Austria, India and, of course, the United States. You might even peek into a “Cantina” in a “galaxy far, far away.”

The scene is set by Ernst Toch’s clever Geographical Fugue, a Maricopa premiere. Scored for four-part spoken chorus, this true musical form – all rhythms, no pitch – mixes together many place-names in a catchy, organized tumble that registers with listeners as a big machine moving ever forward, and has been described more than once as “inspired 1920s rap.”

And the evening will conclude with light refreshments, offering a perfect chance to mingle with the performers.


This story appears in the March issue of InMaricopa.