The group that "dares" you to go to an early music concert will perform Anotonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and other pieces on traditional early instruments, including a recorder and harpshichord.

The musicians of Red Priest try to capture the living vitality of 17th and 18th century music as it was first heard by infusing their performance with what they describe as "rock-n-roll electricity and dressing in off beat garb." The ensemble, which plays by memory, is led by Pier Adams, one of the world's leading recorder virtuosos, who has appeared with orchestras such as the London Philharmonia and BBC Symphony.

"The performance by the British period-instrument quartet Red Priest of 'The Four Seasons'... didn't so much breathe new life into Vivaldi as plunge an adrenaline-filled syringe into his heart... What made this zaniness work, was the players' virtuosity and thorough understanding of the baroque idiom," said "The Washington Post."

"Nothing short of electrifying... combined a supremely accomplished level of musicianship with an almost superhuman energy and a sense of showmanship in a concert that will stand as one of the season's best...," said a "Denver Post" review.

Additional information may be obtained by visiting the ensemble's Web site at www.redpriest.co.uk or via a link at www.hope.edu/arts/gps. The Great Performance Series's information line is (616) 395-6996.

Tickets for the Thursday, Feb. 12, concert cost $14 for regular admission, $12 for senior citizens, and $5 for children 18 and under. They will be available on Wednesday-Thursday, Feb. 11-12, at the theatre lobby box office in the DeWitt Center, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Any remaining tickets will also be available at the door.

Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located on College Avenue at 12th Street. The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street. 

• Share
• Tweet
• Post