Come enjoy a feast of music, colors and interesting instruments!

We feature a premiere of Canadian composer Arthur Marc Bachmann, Wood Poppy, a companion piece to the 1995 string trio work Wild Iris. Stephen Bryant's Beau Metro Quartet has recorded "Wild Iris" and other works by Canadian composers, available through the Canadian Music Centre.

Sir Arthur Bliss's work Conversations comes from the composer's early works in the 1920's when he was considered an "avant garde" composer. At that time modern music mostly meant non traditional groupings of instruments and a bit of pushing of the traditional envelope. Conversations is a collection of five "dialogues", including e Committee Meeting" that has every instrument in their own key and meter: "in the Wood" a peaceful pastorale; "In the Ballroom" a rustic waltz scene featuring the use of a Bass Flute; "Soliloquy" a solo dialogue by an English Horn. Figures; and all ending in the bustle of the "Tube at Oxford Station" Special Thanks to Clarice Nash for the loan of the bass flute.

We will open the program with an early work of Alan Hovhaness; a short three movement duo for double reeds The outer two movements feature the feel of Southern Indian music, of keen interest to the composer at the time, but virtually unknown to most of the world in the 1930's. The middle movement is a happy little two part waltz.

The second half of the program opens with another short duo, but this time for strings, which was written in Ligeti's politically safe phase, when he was exploring Romanian folk music.

Beethoven's Opus 25 concludes the evening in a Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola. The Classical Era of Music is reflected in this serenade form which recalls the musical compositions of Mozart and Haydyn meant to provide light outdoor entertainment.