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Carols in the CavesEdited by Madelyn MillerDavid Auerbach, The Improvisator, performs his 21st holiday season of "Carols in the Caves" in Sonoma, Calistoga, San Francisco & Los Gatos: ancient harps, psalteries, dulcimers, flutes and percussion, in stunning acoustics of wine caves and cellars, and "Temple of Drums: Drums of Peace on New Year's Eve" in a century-old San Francisco landmark. Performances last 2 hours; wine is sold during intermission at "Carols in the Caves". (Note: these are music concerts, not dining events!) All tickets are $40 general admission. In order for adults to enjoy the acoustics, children must be over the age of ten. Directions to the concerts are mailed with tickets to customers who order in advance and are also available online. Doors open one hour before performances. To order, phone 707-224-4222. For detailed concert and venue information, visit http://www.cavemusic.net. The twenty-first holiday season blends nostalgia with innovation through the original approach to music performance of David Auerbach, The Improvisator, specialist in ancient and unusual instruments played in rare acoustics. Within the fabric of tradition he weaves threads of improvisation that comes off like studied composition. The acoustics of reverberant spaces showcase the simple purity of the instrumental sounds, while the evocative atmosphere of exotic settings eases listeners into a comforting journey, back toward dream-like days of our ancient common ancestry, a joyfully soothing respite from the cares of modern times. The Improvisator's Cave Music, which began with a single show more than two decades ago, has grown along with its audience and now presents ancient instruments in awesome acoustics throughout the year. "Carols in the Caves" continues to be the seasonal flagship of the series. The Improvisator draws from old lore of the season with personal renditions of age-old carols on ancient folkloric instruments including dulcimers, harps, psalteries, flutes, concertinas, drums and bells. The traditional carols played are all from times long past, with not a single pop tune to be heard. In the interests of informality, applause is entirely dispensed with, the silence between selections adding to the overall enchantment, while at various moments the audience joins in singing the most familiar of the seasonal songs. The concerts are at five different locations, changing every weekend, in Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, the Mayacamas and Santa Cruz Mountains above Calistoga and Los Gatos, and on New Year's Eve in San Francisco. "Carols in the Caves" begins in the vaulted underground cellar of the hilltop, Tuscan-style Viansa Winery near Sonoma on Saturday, December 9 at 7:00 pm (and maybe also at 2:00 pm), then moves to the majestic, art-filled cave theatre at Clos Pegase Winery in Calistoga on Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17, both at 2:00 pm, then to the candlelit, mountain-top cave at Hans Fahden Vineyards near Calistoga on Saturday, December 23 at 2:00 pm, then into 1892's historic, acoustically splendid, candle-bedecked Trinity Episcopal Church in San Francisco for "Temple of Drums: Drums of Peace on New Year's Eve" in San Francisco on Sunday, December 31 at 7:00 pm, and finally closes out the holidays in ancestral fashion in the cozy, intimate cave of Byington Winery above Los Gatos with "Cave of the Spirits: A Twelfth Night Afternoon" on Sunday, January 7 at 2:00 pm. Notes regarding the final two concerts:"Temple of Drums" is The Improvisator's unique performance designed for sanctuary spaces of churches and cathedrals. In this largely percussive performance a rich variety of ancient drums, as well as delicate bells, soul-stirring gongs, thumb pianos and an occasional archaic string or primitive flute for added complexity, fill the air with sounds that range from the ethereal and contemplative to the booming and bombastic... a most fitting prelude to the New Year. "Cave of the Spirits" honors the venerable time of Epiphany and Twelfth Night. This is the ancient end of the holidays and a fascinating day for both reverence and revelry, harkening back to the legendary journey of gift-bearing Magi guided by an eastern star, and also to the timeless solstice rites of Yule, Calends, Saturnalia and other wintry nature celebrations, when the life-giving warmth of the sun fades and is then rekindled. Cave Music's 21st Season: Carols in the Caves, Temple of Drums, Cave of the Spirits David Auerbach, The Improvisator, performs ancient instruments in awesome acoustics in California's wine country and on New Year's Eve in San Francisco. December 9 at 7:00 pm and (maybe) 2:00 pm "Carols in the
Caves" December 16 at 2:00 pm December 23 at 2:00 pm December 31 at 7:00 pm January 7 at 2:00 pm Tickets: $40 general admission David Auerbach |
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