A festival of music in memory of Grace Ann Krumdieck, June 1–5, 2015
Barbara Blaker Krumdieck is a baroque cellist from Berkeley, the youngest daughter of a large, musically talented family who have been involved with SFEMS since its early days. Her sister is our popular recorder player and teacher Frances Blaker, and her mother, baroque cellist Sally Blaker, serves on the SFEMS board and as Secretary of the Society.
painting by David Wilgus
Barbara has lived for close to 20 years in Davidson, North Carolina. Her daughter, Grace, passed away in December of 2013, at the age of 15, of complications from a neurological condition called Rett Syndrome. Grace was very much loved by everyone who knew her, including many of us in the early music community, and Barbara has organized a festival of early music concerts in honor of Grace to be held the first week in June at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. Called simply “Early Music for Grace,” the festival features music that Grace especially loved. From Monday, June 1, through Friday, June 5, there will be three concerts per day, starting at Noon, 3:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.
The festival will feature many prominent musicians from the Bay Area’s early music scene. Performers include Joseph Edelberg, Anthony Martin, Carla Moore, Martha Perry, Aaron Westman, and David Wilson, violins; Joey O’Donnell, viola; Barbara Blaker Krumdieck and Farley Pearce, cello; John Dornenburg, Peter Hallifax, Julie Jeffrey, and Farley Pearce, violas da gamba; Phebe Craig, Katherine Heater, Henry Lebedinsky, Charles Sherman, and Yuko Tanaka, harpsichord; Kathleen Kraft and Stacey Pelinka, flute; Letitia Berlin, Frances Blaker, Louise Carslake, and Judith Linsenberg, recorders; Kevin Cooper, guitar; Keith Collins, bassoon & dulcian; Shira Kammen, vielle & harp; Allison Zelles Lloyd, voice & harp; Letitia Berlin, douçaine, and Frances Blaker, hammered dulcimer.
Performing groups include Agave Baroque, Bach Se Piace, Berkeley Baroque Strings, Bay Area Baroque Orchestra, Bertamo Trio, Calextone, Ensemble Vermillian and Friends, Farallon Recorder Trio, Hallifax & Jeffrey, Heartland Baroque, KWPC Baroque, Mensa Sonora California, and Pluribus Fidibus. Judith Linsenberg, recorder, and Yuko Tanaka, harpsichord, will appear in solo recitals.
All these groups and performers are based in our area, with the exception of Heartland Baroque, directed by violinist Martha Perry, who lives in Bloomington, Indiana.
With one exception, all concerts are being held in the sanctuary of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Avenue, in Albany. The exception is Kati Kyme’s Berkeley Baroque Strings, who will perform on Tuesday night at Trinity Chapel, 2030 Dana Street, in Berkeley.
The festival now has its own website and a Facebook page, where you can find a schedule of events, list of performers, and an “event” page for each concert. These pages will be updated as more details about each program come in from the performers. The concerts also are listed in the SFEMS calendar of early music. Advance tickets for all concerts are available through Brown Paper Tickets. There are links for each concert at all of the websites above. Visit any of these sites for more information, or email [email protected].
Barbara offers this remembrance of her daughter:
Grace Krumdieck (October 13, 1998–December 28, 2013) was born with the neurological disorder Rett Syndrome. Although she was non-verbal and non-ambulatory she was still able to express joy and love, and her sweet personality shone through her expressive eyes. She loved people and being where the fun was. She loved looking at and listening to birds with her Aunt Frances. She loved French fries and ravioli. She loved going to the movies, looking at books, watching “Kipper the Dog” on TV, taking walks and eating at restaurants with her father, mother and older brother. She loved hanging out with her favorite people and almost always had her legs crossed like a Princess.
And she especially loved music. She would wave her arms, and sometimes her legs, as if she were conducting. In spite of suffering many physical difficulties and requiring full care, she had a happy life and was very good-natured. As her mother, I feel deeply honored to have been given the opportunity to know her, love her and take care of her.
Grace is missed by many.
Early Music For Grace is generously co-sponsored by St. Alban’s Episcopal Church and the family of Grace Ann Krumdieck.
