Choices for March 16, 2024

The third weekend of March will be far less busy than its two predecessors. Nevertheless, there are three options to consider for “third Saturday,” March 16. [added 3/11, 9:25 a.m.: As was already reported, there will also be two events at the Center for New Music, G|O|D|W|A|F|F|L|E|N|O|I|S|E|P|A|N|C|A|K|E|S at noon and The Spoken Word Show at 7:30 p.m.] The good news is that these offerings are likely to appeal to decidedly different audiences. Specifics [updated 3/11, 11:25 a.m., to include Library event] are as follows:

3 p.m.: This will be the next free concert to be presented by the San Francisco Public Library. The Del Sol Quartet will present a program called The Joy Project, which shares new music written for strings, and in a wide variety of styles, to inspire joy in the community (hence the name of the project). The venue will be the Golden Gate Valley Branch, which is located at 1801 Green Street.

7:30 p.m.: Next month’s Shenson Chamber Series program presented by San Francisco Performances will offer a decided departure from the usual chamber music recital. The title of the program will be The Mind’s Ear: Motion Beyond Silence. It was conceived by choreographer Antoine Hunter, who is a well-known advocate for the Deaf community. Readers may recall that, in January of 2020, Hunter performed with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, providing choreography for John Cage’s “Concert for Piano and Orchestra.”

Next month he will perform with his Urban Jazz Dance Company. The music will be provided by a return visit by the Calder Quartet, which launched the Chamber Series this past October. Once again, the music of Cage will be choreographed, this time with the Calder musicians (violinists Benjamin Jacobson and Tereza Stanislav, violist Jonathan Moerschel, and cellist Eric Byers), who will play his “String Quartet in Four Parts.” This will be followed by Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus 130 quartet in B-flat major, which will conclude with the “Grosse Fuge.” (Personal aside: I shall be very curious to see if Hunter will perform with this selection. Back in my days as a dance critic, I remember that Paul Taylor tried; and I was very disappointed with the results!) The program will conclude with Julius Eastman’s “Joy Boy.”

As usual, the venue will be Herbst Theatre, on the first two floors of the Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue on the southwest corner of McAllister Street. Tickets are being sold for $70 for premium seating in the Orchestra, the Side Boxes, and the front and center of the Dress Circle, $60 for the center rear of the Dress Circle and the remainder of the Orchestra, and $50 for the remainder of the Dress Circle and the Balcony. They may be purchased through an SFP secure Web page or by calling 415-392-2545.

8 p.m.: Mark Alburger, Founder and Music Director of the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra (SFCCO) died last year on June 20. SFCCO will honor his passing with a program entitled Leaving a Mark (a fond nod to the composer’s sense of humor). The ensemble has prepared an account of those of his compositions that will be performed as follows:

• Symphony No. 1: The first piece we performed of his 22 years ago.
• Bald Soprano Overture: A piece that vibrantly reflects Dr. Alburger’s theatrical and engaging compositional style.
• Animal Farm: All the Animals missing from Camille Saint-Saëns, The Carnival of the Animals.
• Broken Dance Suite: Revel in a suite that weaves together both traditional and avant-garde elements in a mesmerizing dance of melodies.
• Cliff Variations: A poignant piece written for his son, showcasing his ability to blend emotional depth with intricate variations.
• Pied Piper Suite: A whimsical and enchanting suite of his opera, capturing the essence of Dr. Alburger’s imaginative spirit.

• Variations on Antigone: A collaboration between 7 composers writing variations on Alburger’s Antigone.

The performance will take place at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. This is located at 201 Eucalyptus Drive on the southwest corner of 19th Avenue in Merced Manor. General admission will be on a sliding scale with $25 as the preferred amount.