Entertainment briefs | Ellington tribute set at The Sanctuary in Arcata

Concert planned

The Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre will present a joint concert of the Humboldt Wind Ensemble and Mariachi de Humboldt Friday at 8 p.m. at the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus in Arcata.

Concert tickets are $10 general, $5 for children and free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu.

Mariachi de Humboldt is celebrating its first year as an official Cal Poly Humboldt university performance ensemble, and will present favorite rancheras such as “Cielito Lindo,” “Arboles de la Barranca” and “De Colores.” One will also hear the upbeat Los Laureles, the heart-wrenching Volver and the stirring Tata Dios.

The Wind Ensemble portion of the program includes “La Malagueña de Salerosa” featuring Pablo Murcia, tenor; “Scenes from the Louvre” by Dello Joio; “All Those Endearing Young Charms” by Mantia; “Grainger’s Irish Tune” from County Derry; and Symphonic Dance No. 3 “Fiesta” by Clifton Williams.

Ellington tribute

The Sanctuary and the Humboldt Jazz Collective (under the direction of James Zeller) will present “125 Years of Ellington” on Saturday at the Sanctuary, 1301 J St. in Arcata.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are a sliding scale, $15 to $30, and are available at sanctuaryarcata.org.

The show, the second in the “In the Constellations Now” series, will feature original arrangements of Duke Ellington pieces prepared especially to honor Duke on this special occasion.

The performers include Zeller (trombone), Tree (baritone sax, viola), Allison Muench (alto sax, flutes), Danny Gaon (bassoon, double bass), Katie Belknap (clarinet), Gabe Lubowe (piano), Lee Phillips (double bass), James Forrest (drums) and a special appearance from tap dancer Miles Schmidt.

Steelpan sounds

The Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre will present the steelpan sounds of the Humboldt Calypso Band with special guest, award-winning steelpan recording artist Andy Narell.

This concert is Saturday at 8 p.m. in the John Van Duzer Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt. Concert tickets are $10 general, $5 for children and free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu.

The Humboldt Calypso Band is dedicated to the performance of traditional and contemporary music from Trinidad, Africa, Brasil, Cuba and the United States.

This show will feature a full set of Narell’s music, featuring Narell as a composer, arranger and steelpan soloist. As a bandleader and soloist, Narell has played hundreds of concerts and jazz festivals throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, South America and Africa. He now resides in Paris and on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, and he shares his artistry worldwide through performances and educational workshops.

Variety show

The “Something Different Variety Show,” a benefit for the 2024 Humboldt Juggling Festival, will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. at the EXIT Theatre, 890 G St., second floor, Arcata.

Jugglers, clowns, puppeteers, dancers and other local performers will share the stage to raise funds to restart the regional juggling festival after after a four-year hiatus due to pandemic.

Tickets are $10 and are available at www.theexit.org or via cash at the door.

Concert on campus

The Cal Poly Humboldt School of Dance, Music, and Theater will present the University Singers and Humboldt Chorale, led by choral director Rachel Samet, in two live concerts in Fulkerson Recital Hall on campus Sunday at 2 p.m. and on May 3 at 8 p.m.

The concert, called “Journey Home,” includes a range of compositions from across cultures and musical eras, and expresses a wide variety of perspectives on the idea of “home.”

Concert tickets are $10 general, $5 for children and free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu.

The Humboldt Chorale will start off the program with the “There’s Gonna Be a Homecomin’” by Minneapolis-based composer Kyle Pederson, followed by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ haunting “The Turtle Dove,” which tells the story of two lovers who must be apart as one travels far from home. “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” is next in the lineup, followed by Abbie Betinis’ “Journey Home,” which explores the feelings of immigrants who find a new home in the United States. “The Road Home,” an a cappella performance of “Yellow Submarine” “Harriet Tubman,” a piece by Rollo Dilworth, wrap up the show.

University Singers will start their half of the program with “TaReKiTa” by emerging Indian-American composer Reena Esmail. The expressive “Earth Song” will be followed by Heinrich Schütz’s “Die mit tränen säen.” “Mi Lugar,” with poetry by Cal Poly Humboldt student Jacob Garcia and music by Carlos Cordero, was the result of a special collaboration between the music department and Toyon, the university’s multilingual literary journal. B.E. Boykin’s “Stardust” will be followed by Shawn Kirchner’s “Angel Band,” concluding American composer Alice Parker’s arrangement of “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal.”

Bach concert

The Trinidad Bay Art & Music Festival will present “String Fling,” an all-Bach concert, at 3 p.m. May 4 at Arcata Playhouse, 1251 Ninth St., Arcata.

The concert features the Festival Strings Orchestra, as well as Terrie Baune, violin; John Chernoff, piano, and Peter Kibbe, solo cello.

No tickets are needed. Donations will be accepted at the door. Donation amount suggestions range from $10 to $40.

“String Fling” is a springtime booster concert for the Trinidad Bay Arts & Music Festival. Concessions will be available.