WFOM CONCERTS IN A COVID-19 PANDEMIC YEAR

For 84 years, Wolfeboro Friends of Music (WFOM) has brought to Wolfeboro and The Lakes Region stellar music of many genres. For the last decade or more, we have been the only organization to bring you major small group classical artists as well as jazz, popular and folk genre artists among others.

Our plans for the coming season are, as is most of life these days, subject to many things that we cannot control. The reach of the COVID-19 virus is wide and is not going away any time soon. The policies of the government of New Hampshire are evolving. As we considered the intricacies of providing concerts to you in a safe manner, we recognized the great difficulty in doing so no matter the New Hampshire or CDC or any other reasonable guidelines. However all such angst became moot when we learned that our venues in particular Brewster’s Anderson Hall and the First Congregational Church are simply not available for the foreseeable future.

In response to these closings, in June we cancelled our first four concerts and we asked those artists to consider postponing their concerts until the same time next year. Our first concert in September was to be a return visit by Fred Moyer whose artistry with both classical solos and jazz trios has delighted Wolfeboro on several occasions in the past. In October the acclaimed Heifetz on Tour were to return. Five career young artists would have arrived in Wolfeboro for the initial concert of the Heifetz’ annual tour, which has expanded yearly to many eastern state venues. Our December concert was to bring to Wolfeboro a new sound. Was that going to be the sound of a pipe organ? A calliope? A beat-boxing jazz ensemble? Welcome to the world of the flute orchestra. For December WFOM had contracted with the New England Flute Orchestra. The Meadowlark Trio, from America’s heartland, was to perform in Wolfeboro in February. Formed by three best friends in 2012, the trio has performed nationwide to great acclaim. We have postponed the four concerts listed above hopefully until next season, September 2021.

As July progressed, it became apparent that we are not likely to be in any better shape next spring in terms of either venue availability or our ability to manage a concert under COVID conditions. The second half of our season was to begin in March with New Hampshire’s own Reel McCoys bringing us our yearly concert of Celtic music. In April Sally Pinkas’ salon piano pieces from the colonial period in the Philippines: waltzes, habaneras, nocturnes were to welcome spring. The Harvard Krokodiloes (“The Kroks”), Harvard University’s oldest a cappella singing group, were to bring us in May a spectacular performance.

For a special treat The Kingston Trio was to be here in June. Do you remember “Tom Dooley”, “MTA”, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”? These songs and more were introduced to us by the Kingston Trio, arguably the initiator of acoustic guitar/banjo Folk Music/Topical Music/songwriter/performer model that lives to this day.

However, we are determined to provide performances for Wolfeboro this fall and winter. We are in the process of arranging of what we hope will be virtual concerts possibly in several electronic formats for Wolfeboro with Fred Moyer who was to open our season and with the incredible Boston Brass. More opportunities are coming forward and we will try to bring them all to you. AND. if circumstances allow us to have live concerts we will do so only IF we can provide, observe and acquire all elements necessary to protect you.

The Wolfeboro Friends of Music remains committed to bringing to you fine diverse affordable concert music. We are adjusting to COVID-19 but we are still here. We are not going anywhere. Join us as we celebrate life musically.