PORT TOWNSEND — Two friends and long-time professional musicians and recording artists will join their talents for the first time together as a duo at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Tickets for the concert at 3131 Haines St., are $20 in advance through Brown Paper tickets at peaceon earthconcert.brownpaper tickets.com or $25 at the door.
Rosewind Commons House is a scent-free, shoe-free venue; parents are asked to leave children younger than 10 at home.
Renowned resident harpist, David Michael, and visiting Grammy Award winner, Nancy Rumbel, will present an evening of music featuring Celtic harp with oboe, English horn, ocarinas and Native flute. The program will include original pieces and holiday classics.
Having just met about a year ago, the musical collaboration between Michael and Rumbel developed over the past year while working together on a new recording, “Confluence,” to be released in 2019.
As the holiday season approached, Rumbel reached out to Michael and suggested that they do a Peace on Earth duo concert in Port Townsend, organizers said, adding that the two “were longing to hear the combination of their instruments performing in the spirit of contemplative, original music along with seasonal carols.”
Rumbel is quoted as saying: “I’ve been looking for an opportunity for years to perform with a harpist at this time of year and am elated to work with David on this unique evening of music.”
Rumbel honed her style, improvisational and recording skills as a member of the Paul Winter Consort in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Best known for her 33 years as a composer, performer, recording artist and producer with the Grammy-award-winning duo Tingstad & Rumbel, she also has worked with such celebrated artists as Jami Sieber, David Lanz, Susan Osborn, Cris Williamson, Danny O’Keefe and countless others.
She has performed worldwide in such varied venues as Carnegie Hall, Findhorn, the Ho-Am Awards in South Korea, the Feng Ya Ocarina Festival in China, the Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks and this spring will be a guest artist at the Ocarina Festival in Budrio, Italy.
An avid birder, she was a founding board member of the syndicated radio show BirdNote.org and composed its theme song, heard by more than 2 million listeners daily.
Port Townsend native Michael has produced 24 CDs of original music — primarily on his independent label, Purnima Productions.
His music has been featured on syndicated radio shows, cable and network television and in nature films.
Known widely for his impromptu harp concerts aboard Washington State Ferries, his 17-year run was ultimately capsized in 2007 because of homeland security concerns, prompting him to publish a memoir: “BUSKER — Tales of a Renegade Harpist.”
He has toured Europe, performing in castles, cultural centers and in the walking streets of Scandinavia.
For information, call Michael at 360-301-4451 or email harp@olympus.net.
