On Friday evening, November 14, an audience of over a hundred were treated to a benefit concert presented by Alethia Academy in the auditorium of Rincon Mountain Presbyterian Church, 8445 E. Tanque Verde Road. Artists on the program included pianist Anthony Bernarducci, choral director at Sahuaro High School, cellist Tom Clowes of the Tucson Symphony, and soprano Melanie Bristol of Gilbert.
Musical highlights included Mozart’s piano Sonata K 570, movements one and two, Bach’s Suite No. 5 in C Minor for unaccompanied cello, and Handel’s “Ch’io mai vi possa” for soprano soloist. The evening ended with a stirring rendition of Allitsen’s “The Lord is My Light” by Ms. Bristol.
Prior to the concert a lecture on the selections to follow was presented by Scott Finch, musical director of Rincon Mountain Presbyterian Church and a doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona. Finch had the students of Alethia Academy join him on stage for an interactive lesson.
Delicious desserts were provided for the concert audience between the second and third sections of the concert, served by the Alethia students. An unobtrusive silent auction was set up alongside the concert venue, with many inviting items generously supplied by local merchants, for the benefit of Alethia Academy.
The comprehensive value of the evening was enormous: a feast for the soul on intellectual, aesthetic , and spiritual planes. As a member of the audience, I had to wonder, “Would many people be interested to know that such a charmed evening is available here in Tucson? ” I expect it might seem like a fantasy to some folks, beyond even imagining. But it was real, all right.
Alethia plans another concert gift to the community in the spring, which I will be announcing in this blog. It promises to be another treasure chest of music and good fellowship, and I encourage even the musically “timid” to take advantage of it.
