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Garth Newel: Keeping our Musical Heritage Alive and Well

© Eve Carr

As people have traveled through time, they've had a wonderful companion: music. While mammoth concerts are popular today, a good bit of our musical heritage has been in a smaller venue. Whether it has been bluegrass and blues on the back porch of Grandpa's house or classic string quartets in the stylish salons of Europe, smaller musical gatherings have been a mainstay.

Today, the Garth Newel Music Center (GNMC) in Warm Springs, Virginia is helping to preserve music for a small audience. Each year they present more than 50 concerts, which feature a wide spectrum of music. Sometimes it will be the Piedmont blues of Cephas & Wiggins. At other times, you'll be able to listen to Bach and Beethoven-or perhaps the music of Aaron Copeland or Duke Ellington.

Garth Newel's Managing Director Jacob Yarrow, the staff and performers work hard to carry out their mission: to share, explore and celebrate the infinite variety of chamber music.

The concerts are especially interesting to someone who likes history because they are held in Herter Hall, a converted show ring once used to train prize-winning Arabian horses, but now known for its fine acoustics. Since no more than 200 people are in attendance at a concert, you can enjoy music in an intimate setting.

You can also enjoy another time-traveler special: nature. The Garth Newel Music Center is surrounded by nature and is situated on a 114-acre estate in the scenic Allegheny Mountains. You can hike the nature trails-and even bring your own picnic lunch.

After the concert, you can enjoy the tradition of hospitality. Resident Chef Ed McCardle, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, prepares world-class cuisine-and, on scheduled weekends, even teaches cooking classes. (For an extra treat, look for Shiloh, Chef Ed's dog.)

During Music Holiday Weekends and select special holidays, your musical experience can last even longer. Limited accommodations at GNMC's elegant 1924 Manor House, with 10 bedrooms, nine full baths, three half-baths, a magnificent Great Hall, library and kitchen are also available at these times.

Join in the Fun of Making Music

If you enjoy making music yourself, you are in for a special treat. Instrumentalists with no professional experience can attend the weekend Adult Chamber Music Retreat. For 2006, this will be held from March 9 to 12. With daily practice sessions and rehearsals, advice from professional musicians, and a final performance, it's a fun experience. GNMC also reaches out to amateur performers. Through their Summer Fellowship Program, outstanding string players and pianists from ages 18 to 26 enjoy an impressive five-week study and performance program.

The copyright of the article Garth Newel: Keeping our Musical Heritage Alive and Well in Time Traveller is owned by Millard Edward Carr. Permission to republish Garth Newel: Keeping our Musical Heritage Alive and Well in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.