On December 18, as the longest night of 2009 approaches, the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts lights up to celebrate the winter solstice with music, stories and poetry. Stanley and Kip Greenthal, with special guests Christos Govetas and Eliot Grasso, will share spirited traditional and original songs and stories of the season.
Nationally acclaimed Northwest songwriter and instrumentalist, Greenthal has arranged a compelling mix of his original songs, and fresh arrangements of instrumental music from Brittany, Scotland, Ireland, and the Balkans to reflect the turning of the year. He plays guitar, bouzouki, laouto and lavta (Greek and Turkish lutes), while Kip joins him in harmony vocals and on percussion. For this unique occasion, Stanley and Kip have chosen material not heard at most holiday concerts.
Christos Govetas has performed extensively in the U.S., Canada and Greece. He plays clarinet, oud and bouzouki with Stanley and Kip Greenthal and performs regularly with his group Pangeo in the Seattle area. (Those who attended the Greek Dance party at the Lopez Center this past April will recall listening and dancing to Pangeo’s magical music.) Christos is the 1999 recipient of the prestigious Northwest Folklife Fellowship Award honoring his cultural contribution to the Greek-American and Folk dance communities.
Oregon resident, Eliot Grasso, plays the uilleann pipes, flute, and tin whistle. He has appeared nationally with Liz Carroll, Mick Maloney, Cherish the Ladies, and made an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. Critics say, “Grasso plays with great maturity and a startling understanding not only of his chosen instrument, but also of Irish music in general.”
The concert is on Friday, Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m. at the Lopez Center. Tickets: $15 general, $10 youths 5 to 17, kids under 5 free. Tickets are available at Lopez Center (360) 468-2203 or purchase tickets online at www.lopezcenter.com and at Paper Scissors on the Rock, Blossom Organic Grocery, Islehaven Books, Islandale Southender.
Top: Stanley and Kip Greenthal sharing a musical moment. Steve Horn photo
