APTOS — A delightful concert of refreshingly unfamiliar music, performed in a beautiful space on a sunny day in late fall, was enjoyed by enthusiastic chamber music lovers Nov. 11. The Santa Cruz Chamber Players provided a polished performance reflecting the vibrant colors of the surrounding stained glass at Christ Lutheran church in Aptos.

The impetus for this selection of pieces had come from artistic director Jennifer Cass. Her initial concept was to program a quintet by Nino Rota featuring an unusual combination of instruments: flute, oboe, viola, cello and harp.

She then found six other gems utilizing various members of this group. All the works featured Cass on the harp and Lars Johannesson on the flute. This imbued the program with a definite French flavor despite the fact that only one piece, “Petite Suite” was by a French composer, Andre Jolivet (1905-1974).

In his work, tremolos, trills and glissandi conjured up babbling brooks, opening buds, and the flutter of bees and butterflies in the final section — most appropriate for the spring-like afternoon.

Read the article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel