Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 22, 1993 TAG: 9310210116
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Donna Alvis-Banks
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Sounds like music to me!
You have a choice Saturday for good music and good causes.
In Riner, it's a gospel concert to benefit the Montgomery County Christmas Store. Four local groups and two soloists will perform a variety of hymns and Southern gospel tunes, starting at 7 p.m., at Auburn High School.
Wanda Gail and Rita Davis are the soloists. Participating groups include The Young at Heart, The Gospel Truth, The Gospel Strings and The Farley Brothers. Bill Lineberry is the master of ceremonies.
An offering will be accepted to assist the Christmas Store, and homemade baked goods will be sold to raise money for the cause.
In Blacksburg, the goodwill continues Saturday with a benefit concert for the Humane Society of Montgomery County. The award-winning quartet, No Strings Attached, will play at 7:30 p.m. in the Wesley Foundation Auditorium at Roanoke and Otey streets.
No Strings Attached features musicians from Blacksburg and Roanoke. Formed in 1987, the foursome has performed all over the country, as well as on radio and TV. The band is a popular act at dulcimer festivals in Connecticut, Michigan, California and Virginia.
In addition to playing hammer dulcimers, the musicians perform on mandolin, guitar, bass, harmonica, pennywhistle, saxophone, flute and egg maracas. They've been known to throw in an occasional Slinky, too! Their music ranges from jazz to bluegrass to classical styles.
A $5 donation is requested for this concert. Proceeds will help support the Humane Society's animal shelter.
Tickets will be available at the door Saturday or you may pick them up in advance at The Record Exchange on North Main Street in Blacksburg.
\ EXQUISITE, STUNNING, DAZZLING: All kinds of superlatives pop into your head when the Ballet Gran Folklorico comes to town.
The dance company from Mexico City will perform Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Virginia Tech's Burruss Auditorium. The show is part of the Virginia Tech Union's Entertainment Series this year.
The troupe of 15 dancers and soloists perform dances native to their country. Each region of Mexico has its own dances drawn from history and tradition.
There's the Danza del Venado (Dance of the Deer), one of the most famous Mexican dances from the northern state of Sonora, based on a ritual ceremony performed by the Yaqui Indians before hunting expeditions.
There's the Danza de los Quetzales (Dances of the Quetzal) from the mountains of Puebla. The quetzal, a multicolored bird, is considered a cosmic messenger symbolizing movement and creation.
And, of course, there's the Jarabe Tapatico (Mexican hat dance), the national dance of Mexico.
The dancers, accompanied by a 10-piece band, are known for their flair, their vigor . . . and their exquisite, stunning, dazzling costumes.
Tickets for Wednesday's show are on sale now at the box office in Squires Student Center. They are $14 for adults, $7 for children under 12, $11 for Virginia Tech faculty and staff or $4 for Tech students.
For ticket information, call 231-5615, weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
\ BLENDED VOICES: The Blacksburg Master Chorale and Orchestra is in concert tonight at the Blacksburg Baptist Church on South Main Street.
The singers and musicians will present two major works: Johannes Brahms' "Nanie," a choral poem, and Ludwig van Beethoven's thrilling Mass in C Major. Soloists for the latter are soprano Kathryn Gardner, mezzo-soprano Rita Litchfield-Good, tenor Gary Fulsebakke and bass Wayne Kompelien.
Craig Fields directs the Master Chorale. James Glazebrook leads the 30-member orchestra.
Tonight's concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $8 for adults or $5 for students and senior citizens. To make reservations, call 953-1559.
\ HORRORS! Blood-and-guts writers Craig Spector and David Schow will speak at Virginia Tech Tuesday. Their lecture, "A Matter of Splatter," starts at 7 p.m. in Squires Student Center's Colonial Hall.
Spector wrote his debut novel, "The Light at the End," in 1986. The best-seller was followed by three more: "The Cleanup," "The Scream" and "Dead Lines." In addition, Spector has written for films and has done editorial work for writers such as Stephen King, Robert McCammon and David Schow.
Schow is best known for his short stories. He's a frequent contributor to annuals such as "The Year's Best Horror Stories." He also has worked as an editor and has written for movies and television. His third novel, "Liberators," is in progress.
The writers will speak as part of the Virginia Tech Union's Speakers and Issues Program. Admission is free.
\ COMIC CRITIC: Craig Dodd describes his involvement with ballet as a "critic, biographer, sometime agent and general busybody."
A native of northern Wales, Dodd has written many books on ballet, including "Ballet," "Ballet and Modern Dance" and "First Steps in the Ballet."
Sound dull?
Not if you know Dodd.
He has written 14 books, total sales in excess of one million, but he says you could never tell it from his bank balance.
He worked for a time as an agent for some ballet stars. "To cope with dancers' egos, you have to be either a saint or a masochist or both," he says.
Dodd will speak at Radford University Tuesday. His lecture, set to begin at 7 p.m. in Heth Hall, will focus on the university's upcoming ballet, "Coppelia." Admission is free.
\ BACH'S LUNCH: What a great way to feed your soul!
Bach's Lunch concerts at Virginia Tech offer delightful noonday diversions throughout the year.
Simple Gifts, a local trio featuring Charles Bostian, Marya Katz and Jack Webster, will perform today. The group plays traditional American, British and Irish folk music, as well as a few South American tunes and original compositions.
On Wednesday, Virginia Tech's student quintet, Quantum Brass, will play. The ensemble is made up of Rachel Gray and Scott San Martin on trumpets, Derek Johnson on trombone, Patrick Driscoll on French horn and Josh Wirt on tuba. They play classical and popular music.
The concerts run from noon to 1 p.m. in Memorial Chapel on the Virginia Tech campus. Admission is free.
As always, you're welcome to bring your lunch.
by CNB