- From Natalie Neuert, University of Vermont
- Red Priest was amazing. Just amazing. The audience
(sold-out) was on their feet the second it ended. They are really something
else - the combination of the showmanship and the warmth and the unbelievable
level of the playing is really unique and special.
- From Kathy Wolfe, Early Music in Columbus:
- Just wanted to tell you how VERY much we enjoyed Red
Priest. They were fantastic and we certainly want to have them back
on the series!
- From Dolya Konoval, Chan Centre, University of BC,
Vancouver :
- It was such a pleasure having you here, a wonderfully
balanced program from bliss to the fantastic, and the artists...well,
simply the finest. The Chan concert hall itself must have felt blessed!
I will always treasure the evening.
- From Pippa Thynne, Wantage Concert Society, UK
- All went extremely well yesterday,
both for the schools event and the main concert. Both were a huge success
and I've had loads of enthusiastic comments. It was such a fresh and
immediate way of conveying the spirit of the Baroque - I don't think
I've ever enjoyed a concert so much!
- From Mary de Turk, University of New Hampshire, Durham
NH:
- Red Priest was
fantastic! The students and faculty are still talking about them.
The masterclass was the best attended that I have ever seen and in the
words of one student- "I was blown away!" They
are an extremely musical group- as delightful to listen to as they are
entertaining to watch! This is definitely a group to invite again.
- From Derek Emerson , Hope College, Holland, MI:
- They were on their feet immediately, and they don't
usually move that fast! We had a great turnout and I heard nothing but
positive comments. And from a presenter's standpoint they are a very
friendly and easy group to work with. All in all a successful event.
- From Phil Pletcher, St Cecelia Music Society, Grand
Rapids, MI:
- PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much!
- From Connie Zimmer, Dumbarton Concerts, Washington
DC:
- Red Priest is a presenter's dream! I adore musicians
who have ideas, great ideas. The "Four Seasons" program was
stunning.
- From Bill Menezes , Keene State College , Keene, NH
:
- It was wonderful concert and our audience, small and
knowledgeable, were most appreciative... still getting kudos for bringing
them. The ensemble are also just the finest people to work with. They
also gave a great lecture demonstration that was very well attended
not only by students people from the community
- From Pat Zagelow, Portland Friends of Chamber Music,
OR:
- They were fabulous!! We just loved them and our audience
loved them. The "theatrics" are very classy and appropriate and in such
good taste, and backed up by their very fine musicianship. I have heard
nothing but raves. Thanks for making this work. I'm so happy we brought
them.
- From Mary Richardson, Banners Series, Lake Charles
LO:
- They were just great!!! What
totally lovely people. Everyone loved them. I loved them. The schools
loved them. Personally, it was the highlight of the entire series for
me. And -- and I am VERY proud to tell you this -- they drew a crowd
of about 700 on a Wednesday night in the south. Just about everyone
I know is in church Wednesday night because that is church choir practice
night. If we have presented on a weekend, we would have had 1000 people
easily. But I'm ecstatic about 700 on a Wednesday. They sold 79 CDs.
WHAT A GROUP!
- From Sandi Billy, Virginia Weslyan College:
- Do I even need to report??? They were superb, as always!
We could host them once a month and still turn folks away at the door.
We had some people here who had been to both Monday & Tuesday performances,
as well. Those who were seeing them for the first time were overwhelmed
with the perfectly played music wrapped in mystery/drama/intrigue -
what a show!
- From Don Morrish, Edmonton Concert Society:
- Wow!! They knocked our socks off! We had a nearly full
hall, standing ovation ! They are truly wonderful. Piers Adams is unbelievable.
Clearly we need to have them again -soon!
- From Marylin Delk, Darke County Centre for the Arts,
Greenville, OH
- Thanks to Red Priest, enthusiasm for baroque music
has invaded Darke County. Although we did not fill the hall on a frigid
winter night, the group’s brilliant performance warmed and energized
an audience of nearly 450. Among the many positive responses to Saturday’s
Red Priest concert were: three hard-to-please ladies from a local retirement
community came up to me grinning from ear to ear to say, “Marilyn, we
really liked this one;” a Darke County teenager was thrilled
to be able to purchase a classical music CD in our little town;
people drove from Dayton, Yellow Springs, and Springfield to Greenville
for an arts performance (usually it’s the other way around)! I could
go on, but you get the idea. DCCA’s presentation of Red Priest earned
praise from those who say that they don’t appreciate “long-hair music”
as well as from lovers of classical music; and the concert also reinforced
my oft-repeated contention that cultural enrichment can be a lot of
fun! At least for one brief shining moment in January, DCCA’s mission
to enhance lives through the arts was fulfilled to the hilt; thank you
for helping make this moment possible... And I forgot to mention that
they are delightful people as well as extremely skilled and talented
musicians.
- From Ginny Sain, University of the Ozarks, AR:
- They were wonderful! It was one of the most enthusiastic
responses I have ever seen from our audience! Everyone loved them -
from our senior citizen season ticket holders to the university students.
Besides being wonderful on stage, they were also very gracious, fun,
and easy to work with. Thank
you!
- From Jennifer Hinners, University of Wisconsin:
- I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed having
Red Priest on our Artists Series last fall . . . The charismatic and
daring approach to the music, the flagrant virtuosity, and the wonderful
giving attitude toward the audience made it an evening to be remembered
. . . The players were so undemanding and so relaxed that we also enjoyed
them as our guests backstage as well.
- From Michael J. Fuhrman, Great Performers Series, Erie,
PA:
- They were great - they gave a wonderful performance
and the Erie audience loved them - thanks so much!
- From Riverside Fine Arts Association, Jacksonville,
Florida
- They were fantastic! And their program for the school
kids was also wonderful. The group received a standing ovation from
a very enthusiastic and appreciative audience. I would love to see them
again.
- From Roxana Tourigny, University of Rhode Island Great
Performances:
- It was dynamite! It made some real Baroque music converts.
One third of the house was students! At the end there was applause,
whistles and shouts. Wonderful!
- From Jane Ambrose, University of Vermont Lane Series:
- Natalie says I should tell you "wow" and
Rita says "unbelievably wow." They were fantastic - as I was
sure that they would be. We would be most happy to have them again season
after next should they tour then.
- From Tanya Contos, Boston Museum of Fine Arts:
- It was incredible! Four more talented and personable
musicians could hardly be imagined. The concert was a "Sunday Best"
pick in the Boston Globe. The large audience gave them a standing O,
and I told Julia, Piers, Angela and Howard that we would love to have
them back. It was an extraordinarily exuberant afternoon of superb music
and inspired theatricality. I was particularly gratified to see that
our rather staid core of chamber series regulars seemed as excited as
the many younger, hipper people there. All in all, a great success!
Thanks so much for bringing us Red Priest. I look forward to working
with you again in the future.
- From Cynthia Calabrese, Brevard University:
- Red Priest was fabulous. We had around 350 people in
attendance and they responded so well to the group. Our technical director
provided some great lighting which made them even more festive for Halloween.
They received an immediate standing ovation and gave us one more delightful
number. I and everyone else were more than thrilled with their performance.
I will heavily promote them to my North Carolina Consortium meeting
next month as others need to present them!!! They exceeded even my highest
expectations. I am more than pleased with their performances, their
quality, and their pleasant attitudes. They were all very gracious!!
- From Hilary Wagy, Kennesaw State University, Atlanta:
- They were great! Enjoyed their "wild gypsy abandon
". The show was very entertaining and Piers' narration was enlightening.
The people there loved it. They got a standing ovation from a few audience
members after the first rousing piece. Thank you for sending this talented
group of musicians to us. Spoke with them after and found them all delightful.
Stay in touch.
- From Becky Palmer, Williamsburg Chamber Music Society:
- ...both Norfolk & Wmsburg loved them!! Delightful
people, great show.
- From Dewey Anderson, Florida International Festival:
- We loved Red Priest. The crowd had a ball too. I told
Piers and the others to use us as a reference. As a matter of fact,
I mentioned them at the Florida Professional Presenters Consortium meeting
last week in Orlando. Let's talk next week.
- From Joyce Bodig, The Frick Collection, NYC:
- Although it was unusual for a Frick concert, I think
the audience enjoyed the change of pace. All of the musicians are clearly
first-rate. Much of the audience was ecstatic.
- From Paul Nitsch, Queens College (Charlotte, NC):
- Red Priest was magnificent. Extremely well received.
Keep these folks - they're all really superb musicians and players,
and their program is stunning. Thanks for this great group. They are
all very down to earth, no complaints, no ego trips. Great stuff.
- From Yvonne Kuhlman, Luther College (Decorah, IA):
- Red Priest was a huge hit! Our audience just loved
them and I've been hearing rave reviews ever since Friday night - even
from some of the more stuffy types that I thought might have thought
they were a little much. They loved them. Wonderful musicianship and
artistry, great rapport with the audience, and wonderfully fun and refreshing
stage presence all made the music fun and even more interesting. Thanks
for your help with them! Oh, by the way Piers' class was also excellent.
I think every one there, whether a recorder player or not, learned a
lot and enjoyed the class. We had people who drove all the way from
Omaha to see them!
- From Dave Siever, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, CO:
- The concert was very, very good! Our audience gave
them a standing ovation, which is rare for the classical music series
crowd ... those who were there really enjoyed it ... even me!!! If it's
any indication, 51 cd's were sold ... that's with an audience of about
300 people. So thank you ... it was a very successful event.
- From Connie Zimmer, Dumbarton Concerts, Washington
DC:
- Red priest was fabulous, just fabulous! Only superb
musicians could pull off what they do onstage. Piers - Pan personified,
is astonishing as the ring leader. His recorder playing is magical.
They are all amazing musicians. Our audience adored them... cheering
them on all the way. The review in the Wash Post is magnificent. It
will follow. They sold 70 CDS!
- From Sandi Billy, Virginia Weslyan College, Norfolk
VA:
- They were fabulous! Thanks so much for arranging the
visit. I'm most grateful. We had a great turn-out and a wide variety
of ages in attendance, which can be a plus or minus, but the Priests
kept even the young audience guys riveted throughout the performance.
My sons attended and one said this was better than all the concerts
he'd ever been to in his whole life all put together (high praise from
a usually critical 18yr old). Audience members begged to have them return
every year - we might wear them out...
- From John Beckford, International Chamber Music Series,
Furman College, Greenville NC:
- It was an absolutely splendid concert. It's difficult
to characterize what they do during a performance - but the proof was
in the pudding and I'm glad I was there to taste it. The audience reaction
was very, very favorable. The musicians were wonderful to work with,
too. It was a pleasure getting to know them.
- From Bruce Schein, International Chamber Music Series,
Furman College, Greenville NC:
- The audience loved the Red Priest. I thought their
playing and presentation was excellent. They managed to be expertly
musical, while being highly entertaining. There was a number of professional
musicians there from Furman's music department who loved the concert.
- From Janet J. Stewart, University of Oregon Chamber
Music Series:
- What marvelous musicianship was exhibited. The audience
was captured by your skill and energy. Thank you so much.
- Mike Bennett, Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing MN:
- Hey gang, What a show yesterday! Great pleasure to
work with such personalities AND talent. Thanks so much. Love you guys.
- From Don Pearson, Music Director, St. John's Cathedral,
Denver
- I am still on cloud nine from the incredible performance
by Red Priest on Saturday night - they were absolutely out of sight!
The program was a delight. These are four of the nicest people too.
They were so helpful to the audience with their comments. The response
was wild with extra long ovations after many of the pieces. Thank you
for helping us bring Red Priest to Denver. I will definitely be calling
to see when they can come back. Bravo to you and to this extraordinary
Baroque ensemble!
- From Joyce Smar, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- We have had a terrific couple of days with Red Priest…
they were wonderful and met or exceeded our expectations. We are truly
heartened emotionally - I cannot express how positive we feel about
it all.
- From Renee Huss, Bluffton College, Ohio
- I thought Red Priest was fabulous as did everyone that
was able to be there. What a wonderful group of musicians and performers.
As a group they all complement each other so well. Everyone had their
own special shining. I would love to get together with them again in
the future.
- From Karen Blankenship, Winthrop University, Rock Hill,
South Carolina
- They were incredibly talented, nice as can be, and
a joy to host! Our audience oooed and aahed!!
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