By Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom

Portland, ME, 15 May 2010. In the Chapel at Cathedral Church of St. Luke’s, State Street, 7 p.m.

“Music’s Quill” and Friends presented an engaging evening’s program of early music with featured guests Michael Albert, violin, and Eliot Cherry, cello. The regular members of “Music’s Quill” are Timothy Neil Johnson, tenor, and Timothy Burris, lute. They called the program Les Goutes Reunis.

By Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom

Springvale, ME, 7 May 2010. A beautiful blend of crisp a cappella voices opened the program with Medieval music at 7:30 p.m. on the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society stage in Springvale on Friday night. The audience was immediately convinced that they were in for a treat, having been introduced to the quality sound that would pervade the entire evening’s program, regardless of period or genre. Credit goes to conductor Harold Stover who has been developing this chorus of auditioned professional and highly talented amateur voices since 2001. Also an organist, Stover must have had a sense of playing the four parts with the motion of his hands as director, being well-pleased with the precise vocal response.

By Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom

Bath, ME, 1 May 2010. Internationally known pianist Diana Fanning mesmerized the Chocolate Church Arts audience with a superb performance at a venue that hosts classical music events infrequently. By nature, both chocolate and Diana Fanning’s artistry tend to leave partakers wanting more! Throughout the evening, Fanning played with controlled elegance, resulting in a well-earned encore. She was generous to say she would play a short one, without identification, expecting all to recognize it! It was pleasantly familiar: Franz Schubert’s Moment Musical, Opus 95, No. 3 in f minor.

By Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom

Portland, ME, 18 April 2010. The opening movement of the Johannes Brahms Viola quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op.88, subtitled “Spring”, to my mind, was the most beautiful segment of the entire afternoon concert. The entire program, I hasten to add, commanded the intensely focused attention of the audience members throughout, leading them to reward the performing artists with a standing ovation, spontaneous and richly deserved.