"If the King loves music, it is well with the land." –Mencius
What a day! Many people listened to beautiful baroque and patriotic music from George Washington’s era as they soaked in the sunshine on a gorgeous day at the George Washington Inn and Estate. Maestro Dewey and his orchestra played for the enjoyment of contented and happy attendees who also enjoyed the annual farm tour festivities.
A busy week has begun as players hold another practice on site at George Washington Inn. The French horns came early to practice.
The piazza’s acoustics were perfect for a concentrated practice.
The inaugural Washington Music Festival is just a week away! The players are polishing up their music and there is an eager anticipation in the air. With the three great cities of Victoria, Seattle and Vancouver within 100 miles there’s an appetite for culture and good classical music, in particular the rich Baroque era that “expanded the size, range, and complexity of instrumental performance, and also established opera, cantata, oratorio, concerto, and sonata as musical genres.”
The Olympic Peninsula has many qualified musicians whose talents have been put to work. If Bach’s Mass in B Minor could be performed this past April here in Port Angeles, then these talents need to be nourished and propagated for the future.
Come out to an oceanfront oasis and enjoy the panoramic views and sweet smells of a lavender farm that takes you back in time. The Sequim Lavender Farmers Association is holding its annual “Heritage Lavender Farm Tour” which opens six beautiful farms to thousands of visitors who have made Sequim world-famous for lavender over the past two decades. Washington Lavender Farm will allow you to relax on their front lawn and take in music that George and Martha Washington would have enjoyed in a remarkably similar setting to Mount Vernon. All you need is a ticket to this farm tour event. Come and show your support for this exciting new music festival!
An evening practice session was held at the inn which gave players an opportunity to polish up their music and get familiar with their beautiful surroundings. It also allowed the director to check the sound. Maestro Dewey Ehling loved the way the music carried across the lawn.
As the evening progressed the practice session moved inside the Great Room of George Washington Inn. It was a productive session and everyone enjoyed their time invested in preparing for the inaugural Washington Music Festival. If you had been listening you would have heard baroque music interspersed with some patriotic music that George Washington would have recognized. The inn’s walls reverberated with the incredible music of Bach and Handel and made it sound like a Stradivarius.
A recent article in the Peninsula Daily News had this to say about the upcoming Washington Music Festival.
“And then they’ve added the Washington Music Festival to their Farm Faire menu. Port Angeles conductor Dewey Ehling is putting together small ensembles to play music of the Baroque era, the kind George and Martha Washington would have heard. On July 19 and 20, these musicians will play on the inn’s patio, with its red, white and purple flowers blooming around them.”
Don’t miss all the excitement at this unique venue between Sequim and Port Angeles. Enjoy the beauty and sounds of an oceanfront farm that shares a panorama that showcases the Olympic National Park along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Dates: July 19-20, 2013 (Sequim Lavender Weekend)
Time: 2 PM – 5 PM
Location: George Washington Inn and Estate ~ 939 Finn Hall Rd., Port Angeles, Washington 98362
Washington Music Festival 