ORANGE CITY – The Orange City Arts Council’s annual celebration of flowering gardens and music – and irresistible sweets – is coming soon. The 2011 Summer Suites will be held Monday, July 25 in two backyard gardens. This year the evening will also include an art exhibit, “Flora of our Place: Interpretations,” a juried art show featuring works by area artists at the Northwestern College art gallery.
The evening begins at 6:30 p.m.
The “progressive concert” will feature Joel Westerholm on guitar, vocalist Rob Meerdink and the Not-Yet-Famous Bassoon Band.
Westerholm will perform at the Korver Visual Arts Center at Northwestern College, following a few words by one of the exhibit’s jurors. Patrons will be able to view the art, or sit and listen to Westerholm’s finger-style jazz, featuring works by Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Billy Joel and others.
Westerholm, who teaches English and guitar at Northwestern College, began guitar at age 12 in Waltham, MA. He’s self-taught, but, has “stolen from many guitarists over the years.” He plays varied guitar styles, from classic rock with The Usual Suspects to the Sunday School opening at Faith Lutheran Church. He also leads music at Taize worship.
Meerdink, tenor/ baritone, and his accompanist Mary Reinders, are having a great time working on a variety of pop standards for their performance, they said. They will begin with standard love songs, then the “lively stuff”: “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” “Always,” “High Hopes,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” “God Bless America,” “Happy Days are Here Again.”
Meerdink, who works with Orange City Area Heatlh System, is a frequent church soloist, and has performed in 11 Tulip Festival night shows, playing Adam in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” He and Reinders will perform in the garden of Laura and Gary Malenke.
And the Not-Yet-Famous Bassoon Band is a group of a dozen bassoon players from Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Sheldon, Le Mars, Lawton, Winnebago, Vermillion, Remsen, Ida Grove and Orange City. They range from high school and college students to a graphic designer, an administrative assistant and an accountant. Some play in the Cherokee, NW Iowa, or Sioux City symphonies or area community bands; others teach. Lorrie Thomas began the band, inspired by the Boulder Bassoon Band.
The group has been together for four years, and plays familiar American tunes, a madrigal, marches, a Michael Jackson tune, a “golden oldie,” some classical, some Latin American music and a Chinese lullaby. “We play something for everyone,” Thomas said. It’s fun; “most people have never seen so many bassoonies together in one place.”
The bassoon band will perform at the garden of Gregg and Sue Korver.
The Orange City Arts Council sponsors Summer Suites, this year in conjunction with the Northwestern College Art Department. Pizza Ranch is the corporate sponsor.
Advance tickets are necessary, at $7.50 for adults, $5 for students, and $22 for families, and will be available July 14 at the Orange City Arts Council office, Orange City town hall, and Dove Christian Book Store. After July 21, ticket prices increase to $10, $7 and $30. Maps and schedules are provided to ticket purchasers.
For more information, contact the Arts Council, 712-707-4885 or OCArts@orangecityiowa.com.
Rob Meerdink to sing at Summer Suites: Rob Meerdink, tenor/ baritone, is having a great time choosing pop standards to sing at the Orange City Arts Council's Summer Suites July 25. He and accompianist Mary Reinders will perform in a backyard garden for the "progressive concert." Advance tickets are necessary, 707-4885.
Guitarist Joel Westerholm to perform in art gallery: The 2011 Summer Suites will feature Joel Westerholm playing finger-style jazz guitar, in Northwestern College's Korver Visual Arts Center. New to the garden/ music/ dessert night is "Flora of our Place: Interpretations," an exhibit featuring area artists' work.
The Not-Yet-Famous Bassoon Band: These "bassoonies" had a little fun before a recent performance in Sioux City. These eight, and four others, will perform for Summer Suites. Pictured are (left to right) Kelly Jacob of Winnebago, Lois Estell of Orange City, Lorrie Thomas of Vermillion, Elise Gerhart of Sioux City, Kay Derby of Remsen, Karson Kingsbury of Lawton, and Anya Shorey and Rick Lacy, both of Sioux City. Not pictured are Amy Morrison of Sioux Falls, Linda Gude of Sheldon, Adam Curry of Le Mars, and Emily Meinecke of Ida Grove.
