Old Economy to showcase 'Hidden Sounds' from Grammy winner

Scott Tady, Beaver County Times
·3 min read
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AMBRIDGE − See and hear the musical legacy left by the Harmony Society as Old Economy Village presents the Hidden Sounds Musical Program on July 16.

The 2 p.m. event, at the Granary at the Old Economy historical site in Ambridge, will include Harmonist music, recently released by four-time Grammy Award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen, along with a behind-the-scenes look of some of the musical heritage of the Harmony Society that founded Old Economy. The two-hour event is free, but reservations are requested by e-mailing Friends of Old Economy, c-jaweber@pa.gov.

Light refreshments will be served at the event, co-sponsored by the Harmony Museum, in Harmony, Butler County. Guests will see Harmonist instruments, view music written by members of the society, and have a chance to play a square grand piano in Old Economy's historic Feast Hall building.

“Old Economy is lucky to have the musical archives of the Harmony Society,” Sarah Buffington, curator at Old Economy Village, said. “For this event, visitors can view items from those archives, as well as some of the mid-19th century musical instruments played at Harmony Society concerts.”The Hidden Sounds Musical Program also will showcase Harmony Society music recorded by cellist Friesen in the wine cellar built by the Harmonists in 1809, in Harmony.

Grammy award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen's music, inspired by The Harmonist Society of Western Pennsylvania, will be featured at an Old Economy Village event.
Grammy award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen's music, inspired by The Harmonist Society of Western Pennsylvania, will be featured at an Old Economy Village event.

“Friesen performed a concert in the Harmony Museum wine cellar several years ago,” Harmony Museum board member Andrew Orient said, “and was so inspired by the unique acoustics of space he returned to Harmony to record a compact disc of Harmonist music. At the Hidden Sounds Musical Program we are celebrating the release of this recorded music in digital form.”Friesen will perform a concert that same weekend in New Harmony, Ind., the second home of the Harmony Society. Efforts are underway in hopes of bringing him to western Pennsylvania for live performances of this Harmonist music in Harmony and Old Economy.

He has won Grammys for Best New Age Album ("Miho: Journey to The Mountain") in 2010, "Silver Solstice" in 2008, and "Spanish Angel" in 1993; and Best World Music Album ("Journey With The Sun") in 2000.

An online campaign has been started to have Grammy-award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen perform music at the Harmony Museum.
An online campaign has been started to have Grammy-award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen perform music at the Harmony Museum.

More:Eugene Friesen concert in Harmony moved to new location due to COVID concerns

The Hidden Sounds Musical Program is one of several cooperative efforts between the three “homes” of the Harmony Society.

“We are glad to work with the Harmony Museum for the return of our behind-the-scenes programming at Old Economy Village,” Jason Weber, executive director of Friends of Old Economy, said. “Many people know of the Harmony Society because of the religion, industry, and agriculture. But they also were very musical, and it is wonderful that we can continue to bring that musical legacy to life.”

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The Harmony Society became one of 19th century America’s most successful communal groups in various businesses, especially in production of woolens and linens. Members founded the borough of Harmony in Butler County in 1804, and after 10 years of progress, relocated to Indiana Territory to found the town of New Harmony.

As former Pennsylvanians have done throughout the centuries, The Harmony Society moved back home to Pennsylvania in 1824, to establish their final home, Economy, (now Ambridge). The society started practicing celibacy while in Harmony, and as members aged and died, the Society was dissolved in 1905.

Old Economy Village, a gemstone site of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, preserves and presents the life, thought and material culture of the Harmony Society. In this endeavor, the state Historical and Museum Commission is actively supported by the Friends of Old Economy Village, a nonprofit community-based organization.  Old Economy is part of Ambridge’s Economy National Historic District.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Old Economy in Ambridge to showcase 'Hidden Sounds' from Grammy winner