CITY DAILY PHOTO-AUGUST 1, THEME DAY: BLACK

Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, Encore

The annual Chamber Music Festival is not only a music lover's dream, but also a great opportunity for this photographer to capture a range of subjects. This summer's WWCMF Collage- Special Event 2 at Valdemar Estates turned out to be the perfect venue for this month's City Daily Photo theme--Black.

For more entries by other CDP photo bloggers, follow this link.http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

In the spotlight: a musician plays from high up on the catwalk above Valdemar's spacious production room.

 

Tools of a musician's trade

 

The entrance to the winery is low-key and spare

 

This waterfall wall creates a pleasing ambience as guests gather to drink wine and taste Valdemar Estate's selection of tapas.

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY--JULY 1: THE COLOR BLUE

Scenes from the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, June 2019

I'll be the first to admit I've been remiss in posting to this blog for two months. Travel and laziness have been my excuses. And even though I had photos selected for the months of May (purple) and June (pink), I never got around to posting them.  

Je suis désolé.

But here I am with "blue" photos for July 1 theme day with a collection of photos I have taken during the 24-day Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival which began June 6 and ended June 29.

The first six photos I took at the Special Event 2--Collage. Quoting from the WWCMF booklet, "Collage is a style of performance in which the entire space becomes a stage." In the case of this performance, as well as most of the festival performances, the setting is in a winery production room. That means the huge steel vats have been pushed aside or removed to make room for folding chairs for the audience and mini stages throughout the space in the catwalks or corners where the musicians perform in front of, above, behind and within the audience. In addition, dance is often part of the artistic collage. And unlike the other performances, miles of lighting and sound cable have been laid to create a unique visual and auditory experience.

 

Blue guitar on black notes

Rob Moose on electric guitar playing "Roundball Rock (NBA on NBC Theme)"

Blue shadow of the trombone player.

Weston Sprott joins the ensemble on his trombone

Moving with the music

Violinist Maria Sampen

Festival Series 4, the final performance of the season, was held at Gesa Powerhouse Theatre. Flutist MingHuan Xu peforms as part of the Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57 by Dimitri Shostakovich. Also pictured are Philip Payton, violin, and Winston Choi, piano.

 

Violinist in a blue dress

Collage 2-Abeja Winery

A Magical Evening

With a backdrop of concrete walls and floor and stainless steel fittings for winemaking, I attended my second performance in the month-long series of music events included in the Walla Walla Chamber Music festival. It was billed by my friends and loyal WWCMF fans as the ONE performance not to miss, so I came with high expectations. I was not disappointed.

I learned quickly the audience protocol for these performances which is to arrive early in order to choose the best seat available, and then meander around the venue, purchase a glass or bottle of wine, chat with friends, or in my case, take photographs.  And because I am not a wine drinker myself, I have not had the opportunity to visit many of the 100+ wineries and vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. So this has been a win-win for me--lovely venues to photograph along with beautiful music to listen to. 

The big white barn has always been a favorite sight for me on my bicycle rides up Mill Creek Road and back, remembering it being there long before it was re-purposed as part of Abeja Winery. 

While normally the barn serves as the main building for the Abeja wine-making operation, for the two WWCMF Collage performances, the giant stainless steel tanks had to be removed and replaced with rows of seating and extensive electric cables for the dramatic lighting of the musicians and solo dancer.

While the main performance area was in the center of this theatre-in-the-round formation, musicians played from all corners of the space, including the second level making an already intimate setting feel even more so. Seen below is Timothy Christie, founder and artistic director of the WWCMF, as well as one of the musicians.

Flutist Sarah Brady performs as one of the many Collage musicians.

Walla Walla dancer Peter de Grasse performed two solo pieces in the center space accompanied here by PROJECT Trio.

PROJECT Trio again plays a lively animated piece just an arm's length from the audience.

At the end of the second half, all of the musicians assembled in the center space to play in the finale.

A well-timed intermission gave attendees a chance to view one of Walla Walla's remarkable sunsets.