Virtuoso Horn Duo and the Sounds of the Holiday

After a wonderful Thanksgiving meal served to an Inn full of guests, we turn to preparing for the holiday season in earnest. Boxes of ribbons, holiday fabric, ornaments and lights have been unearthed, and piles of greenery bring the smell of the garden indoors. With all the work ahead of us, music is essential. I love the myriad sounds of traditional classical, secular, sacred, orchestral, choral, vocal, new age, country, and contemporary holiday music - but the sound of brass is the sound I most associate with the season.

How fortunate then, that the Inn had the pleasure of hosting The Virtuoso Horn Duo(Kerry Turner, Kristina Mascher) and Friends (Kyle Turner, tuba/ophicleide, Lauretta Bloomer - piano) this past October. Kalamazoo was the last stop on their two-week whirlwind US tour, courtesy of Western Michigan's Horn Studio and Professor Lin Foulk. After two weeks of traveling, working, and performing together, they took full advantage of our spacious rooms -Ruth's Room and the Morning Room, and parlors to unwind and get that necessary breathing room.

While you won't be able to hear them live in the US for some time, they have a varied selection of CDs. I picked up Virtuoso Horn Duo, and Expressions by Kyle Turner both of which I highly recommend for ushering in the holidays.

While neither CD includes traditional (or even non-traditional) holiday music, the resonant sounds of French Horn and Tuba lend a festive air to the various classical, contemporary, folk, and original compositions. While they won't be performing in the US again for some time, Our Thanksgiving guests loved the music describing it as "definitely festive and a wonderful change from Deck the Halls." Since we have an abundance of halls to deck here at the Inn, we'll definitely be adding this one to our musical rotation.

If you're a fan of the brass, check out the following (free) events this season: Dec. 5 - Christmas In Kalamazoo, featuring The Kalamazoo Ringers, the Kalamazoo Brass and the Kalamazoo Male Chorus in a concert your whole family will enjoy; Dec. 8 Western University Trombone Choir; and Dec. 20 A Brass Celebration.