Kingsbury Ensemble opens 'Sundays at Three' series

Both young and old filled the pews in Old St. Vincent's Church Sunday afternoon for the first concert, featuring the Kingsbury Ensemble, in the chamber music series "Sundays at Three."

Southeast Missouri State University violin and viola assistant professor Brandon Christensen is the founder of the chamber concert series, which is in its third season.

"Chamber music is a small group of performers, who historically played at social events," Christensen said. At one time, the term chamber music was restricted to Western classical music, such as a string quartet. Today, it covers many different musical styles and genres.

The Kingsbury Ensemble, of St. Louis, performed on period instruments including a Baroque bassoon, violin, cello, harpsichord and recorder. Featuring arrangements from composers Antonio Vivaldi and Christian Witt, the ensemble concluded with a series of cantatas with soprano vocalist Christine Johnson.

Formed in 1999, the Kingsbury Ensemble is a group of professional musicians who perform musical styles from the Monteverdi period to classical. Performers included Masaaki Fujiki, Alex Shaffer, Henry Skolnick, Ken Kulosa and Maryse Carlin.

Christensen said he presented the idea of the chamber music series when he moved to Cape Girardeau four years ago.

"There wasn't anything like it around here," he said. "I also wanted to get the music students at Southeast, particularly the Music Academy students, to attend more performances. In a big city, like St. Louis, you would be competing with 20 other events like the 'Sundays at Three' concerts."

In the past, the chamber concert series, which runs throughout the rest of the year until May, has drawn in audiences of 50 to 100 people. Some 50 were in attendance Sunday.

The concerts are supported by the Music Academy at Southeast Missouri State University.

On Dec. 11, the second "Sundays at Three" concert will feature Christensen and pianist Jennifer Lim for a recital of violin and piano sonatas including Beethoven's Sonata in C minor.

On the net

Sunday's At Three concert series: www.semo.edu/music/concerts/sundays.htm.