The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: After six years of success, “Grace Presents” — a series of monthly FREE concerts at noon on Saturday — has been suspended indefinitely

By Jacob Stockinger

The “Grace Presents” series of FREE monthly Saturday noon concerts has been suspended indefinitely.

The series presented folk music, jazz, ethnic, country and other genres in addition to classical music.

The Ear feels sorry about the unfortunate move, but offers kudos and thanks for a job well done. (At bottom is a YouTube video of the Liebeslieder Waltzes by Johannes Brahms sung at Grace Presents.)

Over several years, he has heard memorable performances of sonatas and suites, cantatas and preludes, of vocal, string and piano music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms and other composers. Included here are some photos of past events.

The concerts – held in the wonderful interior (below) of Grace Episcopal Church on the downtown Capitol Square — always attracted a large, friendly and appreciative crowd, and the series became a showcase to spotlight some performers who have a lower profile, including graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music.

No specific reason for the action was given, and The Ear wonders if it had to do with finding financial sponsors or perhaps with the difficulty of booking performers in a city with such competitive programming of music.

It was not an easy job to set it up and keep it running. So The Ear offers congratulations and thanks to the many people who made the series successful for many years. (Below are violinist Laura Burns, who plays with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Rhapsodie Quartet, and pianist Jess Salek, who teaches and performs with the Mosaic Chamber Players and the Madison Youth Choirs.)

Here is the official statement:

Dear Grace Presents Community:

After six seasons of offering free community concert programming monthly at the historic Grace Episcopal Church, the Grace Presents Concert Series has been suspended indefinitely.

From performers such as Yid Vicious, Kenn Lonquist, The Dang-It’s, the Madison Bach Musicians (below) and so many others we have enjoyed presenting these concerts free of charge to the Madison community and the thousands of downtown Madison visitors.

It is our hope that this concert series may find a champion in the near future, but until then, the red doors will no longer be open on Saturdays for free concerts to the public.

Thank you for your support of this series and local musicians. (Below is pianist Yana Groves who played music by Bach and Rachmaninoff at Grace Presents).

Most Sincerely,

Grace Presents Board Members

PS: Thank you to the following:

– Bruce Kasprzyk for recording dozens of our concerts and providing his services free of charge

– Oakwood University Woods for printing our programs each month

– Bruce Croushore for initiating the Grace Presents Concert Series seven years ago

– folks who have served on the Grace Presents board

– over 100 musicians who performed for a Grace Presents concert

– all of you who have attended and supported live music at Grace Church

We especially thank our many donors and supporters over the years, and in particular Dane Arts, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, the Madison Arts Commission, and the Wisconsin Arts Board