Rock to Bach returns to Oak Ridge March 9

Kristi Younkin, an Oak Ridge native who has played clarinet with U.S. Air Force bands throughout our nation, Europe and Russia, as well as with the late comedian Phyllis Diller, The Temptations, the Mnozil Brass and on the “Fox and Friends” TV show, will be a featured performer at the Oak Ridge Rock to Bach Music Festival.

The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

With the Air Force bands, Younkin has played at the funeral of President Gerald Ford and at events for other past U.S. presidents, many foreign heads of state and other dignitaries. At the festival in the ORUUC sanctuary at 10:45 a.m., she will perform a variety of classical music on clarinet for 30 minutes. Josh Sumter, organist and choirmaster at First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge, will accompany her on piano.

The Oak Ridge Rock to Bach Music Festival is a fundraiser for the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association. ORCMA is the umbrella organization for the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge Chorus and Oak Ridge Chamber Music Series, as well as the free Family Concert and Coffee Concert series.

The doors open at 9:30 a.m., giving early attendees a chance to look over and bid on the silent auction items. At the festival you can enjoy live music all day, coffee and sweets in the morning, and sandwiches and drinks for lunch.

You can come and go as you please or stay all day. The cost for an advance ticket is $15, or pay $20 March 9. The cost for children ages 5 to 18 is $5 per child and for families of three or more, $30. Children under the age of five get in free. Tickets can be purchased by cash or check only at TNBank, Calamity’s Coffee in Jackson Square and the ORCMA office, 118 E. Division Road.

The other performers and performing groups that will display their talents in the ORUUC sanctuary are presented below. A subsequent article will highlight the musical groups and individuals who will perform in ORUUC’s Social Hall.

Here are the scheduled performers

According to ORCMA President Larry Vance, The Vance Jazz Duo, will perform “beloved jazz standards with a dash of Latin.” He added that the jazz duo “blends the rich resonance of Larry Vance’s upright bass with the melodic finesse of Asher Brownlie’s guitar, creating an intimate jazz experience.” They are the opening act, starting at 10 a.m.

The Da Capo Trio will perform classical music, starting at 11:30 a.m. The trio consists of Sarah Cammisano, violin; Michael Cammisano, piano, and Kathryn York, cello. Most recently, they performed at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort.

At 12:15 p.m., Kayla Beard, production manager and community engagement director of the Marble City Opera, will sing a variety of opera, art song and musical theater pieces. She will be accompanied on the piano by Josh Sumter.

At 1 p.m., the Tanasi Winds will perform Americana, folk, rock, classical, jazz, klezmer, gospel and country music. Wind instrument players are RaNaye Dreier, flute; Bill Schwenterly, horn; Dana Fox, oboe; Dave Greenwood, clarinet, and Ardyce Lee, bassoon.

Melony Dodson, host/producer of the “Morning Concert” on WUOT and pianist for the Oak Ridge Chorus, will perform at 1:45 p.m. a few musical selections by some of her favorite women composers, including Maria Szymanowska, Melanie Bonis, Clara Schumann, Marianna Martines and Dana Suesse.

The Mt. LeConte Jug Band will play classic Americana music starting at 2:30 p.m. Performers are David Howard, bass guitar; Chris Hill, six-string banjo, and Jim Radle, guitar.

Jeff Heidle will play piano solos starting at 3:15 p.m. He has performed piano and keyboard solos with many local music groups including the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra (part of ORCMA) and the Maryville-Alcoa Orchestra. In the 1980s and 1990s he was an accompanist or music director for several Oak Ridge Playhouse musicals.

At 4 p.m., the Oak Ridge Chorus will present classical music including a Southern shape-note hymn, an African-American spiritual, a traditional Hebrew song, a pastoral poem and a gospel-style version of Paul Simon’s hit “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

In a separate fundraiser, a buffet dinner provided by Birdwell Catering and music performed by Canta Libre Chamber Ensemble will be offered between 5:15 and 7:30 p.m. at ORUUC. Canta Libre, which performs musical selections by French composers on violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet and harp, will also present a chamber concert on Sunday, March 10, at 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church.

Learn about the menu offerings and make your reservation for the $70 dinner by March 6 by calling the ORCMA office at 865-483-5569. The Rock to Bach Celebration Dinner, which is preceded with wine and cheese appetizers, will start at 5:45 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Rock to Bach returns to Oak Ridge March 9