“Music and Mohr, now that has a nice ring,” Helen Antonizio, president of the Friends of the Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library, said softly while listening to the Renaissance V Brass Quintet last Thursday evening. “This is a nice program; it’s free and open to the public.”
The performance from the quintet – led by Al Testa, who played trumpet and flugelhorn – is just one of the many different programs the Friends have raised money to help the library present.
“Many times, the children’s programs the Friends sponsor include music,” Antonizio said. “But it has only been in the past year that we have sponsored a program for adults.”
Judging from the appreciative audience’s reaction last Thursday evening, the Friends may be doing more musical presentations for adults in the coming months.
“With most of the tunes prefaced by information about the composer, tune or the instrument, last Thursday night wasn’t only a listening pleasure but a learning experience as well,” Antonizio said. “For instance, Al introduced the flugelhorn and told us about brass instruments and how the pitch is affected by the temperatures in the room, and adjustment that are made by slides on the horn.”
Likewise, Tyler Barboza, who played the trumpet, told the attentive audience about the sackbut, a smaller Renaissance trumpet, and how it differs from the modern trumpet.
“This was a very educational musical event,” said Antonizio, who took in the entire performance with her long-time colleague, Friends secretary Sheila Manney. “I think everyone enjoyed the tunes, too.”
A few of the selections the Testa-led quintet played were “The Pink Panther,” “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again,” and Bach’s “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desire.”
The Renaissance V Brass Quintet, which was formed three years ago, is made up of professional music educators who live in Rhode Island.
“The group’s intent is to revive and preserve the finest music possible for the listening public,” Antonizio said. “The group consists of two trumpets, trombone, tuba and French horn, and performs music that spans five centuries. The members are Bob Izzo, Colin Kane, James Suchodolski, Gerry Heroux, Nicole Denton and Tyler Barboza.”
Thus, with National Friends Library Week just around the corner, Antonizio and Manney announced that the Mohr Friends are always accepting new members, and dues are only $5 for an individual and $10 for a family.
Antonizio explained that “used books sales are our primary fundraising activity to help support library programs and events, including providing museum and zoo passes, concerts, Little Free Libraries and summer reading for all ages. And we’d like to have some more new Friends, as well.”
Anyone that would like to join the Friends should call the library at 401-231-4980 or write to the Friends of Mohr Library, One Memorial Drive, Johnston, RI 02919.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here