The Black Mountain Center for the Arts is presenting Duo Galilei<\/i>, a concert featuring award-winning Celtic harpist Sue Richards and Carolyn Surrick, a master of the viola de gamba, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 9.<\/p>\n
Sue and Carolyn have been playing together for years, and are members of Ensemble Galilei, a Celtic\/early music crossover group comprised of five women who have toured the United States and recorded 15 CDs.<\/p>\n
They have also played regularly at Walter Reed Medical Complex in Washington, DC, helping to soothe and comfort the wounded men and women recovering there.<\/p>\n
The April concert at BMCA will feature Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian, and original music. Come prepared to enjoy airs, jigs, reels, and hornpipes in abundance. \u201cThough the two instruments are mellow, we won\u2019t be playing Bach or Beethoven,\u201d says Sue. \u201cIt should be a lovely night of delightful music.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sue specializes in Irish, Scottish, and Scandinavian music played on the Celtic harp, which\u00a0 is half the size of a concert harp but is played in a similar fashion. She recently moved to the Asheville area where she enjoys teaching and performing.<\/p>\n
Since her teen years, Carolyn has played the viola da gamba, an older string instrument similar to a small cello that is held in the lap.<\/p>\n
She specializes in early music with a smattering of Celtic jigs and reels. In addition to her music, she also writes poetry and has published two books about her experiences playing for wounded soldiers.<\/p>\n