Concert on Nantucket Island, July 20, 2023
Anne was delighted to join with two viola da gamba professionals; Nantucket resident Mollie Glazer and fellow Savannah Baroque member Marcy Brenner in a concert at the Nantucket Community Music School in the lovely sunporch. Works by Bach, Locke, Jacquet de la Guerre, Boismortier, and Marais were performed. Mollie’s son Isaiah joined in with tambourin in the last couple variations of the Marais Folies d’Espagne.
Spring Concert with The Goliards: The Minstrels of Albion
Anne took great pleasure in playing positive organ and sinfonye in The Minstrels of Albion with The Goliards under the leadership of founder, artistic director, arranger, vielle and rebec player John Hillenbrand along with Marcy Brenner on the tenor viol and singers Emmy Burch and Cuffy Sullivan. The performance was held Sunday, May 28, 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal church, Savannah, Georgia.
The ensemble performed popular songs, dances, hymns and motets from thirteenth and early fourteenth century England.
Evensong at St. John’s Savannah May 7, 2023
Anne was invited to play Prelude music for Eastertide Choral Evensong by the highly esteemed music director Steven Branyon at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in beautiful downtown Savannah, Georgia on May 7, 2023. She brought along her AMD French single manual harpsichord and fellow Savannah Baroque member Erika Andres with her baroque flute in solos and as a duo.
Anne Acker harpsichord joins Atlanta Baroque for Bach Ascending Concert April 23 2023
It was a treat to supply and tune a Flemish double I made some years ago (and is now one of my personal instruments) for the Atlanta Baroque concert under artistic director Julie Andrijeski and guest conductor and violin soloist Evan Few as a highlight of the Bach Ascending series at the beautiful Lutheran Church of the Ascension in downtown Savannah, Georgia on April 23.
Debut concert on commissioned Acker harpsichord with Savannah Baroque
Savannah Baroque presented “A Baroque Celebration” featuring the debut of a highly decorated new harpsichord by ensemble member and harpsichord builder Anne Acker on March 7, 2023, 7:30 p.m. in the fantastic acoustic of St. Francis of the Islands, 590 Walthour Rd, Savannah, 31410. The program included joyful, celebratory, and dance inspired works. Along with more familiar names, the program continued the ensemble’s tradition of including works by long neglected brilliant women composers. The harpsichord was commissioned by a client in California so this will be the only chance to hear and see it before it leaves Savannah. Savannah Baroque members Marcy Brenner, viola da gamba and Ann Cafferty, baroque violin joined Anne playing the new harpsichord.
Reviving Nannette Streicher, Part 2: The 1816 piano replica project
The second part of the article about the process of my completing the replica of an 1816 Nannette Streicher fortepiano, begun by my friend and colleague Margaret Hood before her too early passing appeared in the March 22, 2022 issue of The Piano Technicians Journal.
Reviving Nannette Streicher, Part 1: The 1816 Streicher piano replica project
Published in The Piano Technicians Journal (vol. 65, no. 2, Feb. 2022, pp 15-18): The first half of an article I wrote about my journey in completing a replica of an 1816 fortepiano by the famed piano builder Nannette Streicher that was begun by a mentor and friend, Margaret Hood, but who sadly passed away too young before its completion. Interestingly, the veneer of Cuban mahogany comes from a log, gifted to me by a Miami sculptor in my days there, that I sent to Margaret and that she sawed herself for the veneer. Now it has come back to me. The instrument debuted at the Boston Early Music Festival in 2019 and is now part of my personal collection.
Goliards Christmas Concert 2021, December 19, 2021
On Dec. 19 in the afternoon, I greatly enjoyed playing positive organ and hurdy gurdy with The Goliards under fearless leader, vielle player and arranger John Hillenbrand, at The Collegiate Church of St. Paul’s, 1802 Abercorn St., Savannah, Georgia to a fine, warm audience on a bleak damp winter afternoon. The gut strings behaved quite well. Other performers were Marcy Brenner, gamba, and singers Mac Fogle, Cuffy Sullivan, Verity Sullivan, and Fiona Sullivan .
Video of Anne performing Bach B Minor Mass on harpsichord
Please enjoy this video of Anne playing the Bach B Minor Mass on an AMD French Single Harpsichord with the Wesley Monumental Choir and orchestra, 2018.
Inaugural Concert of 2021 Acker harpsichord commissioned by Central United Methodist Church of Florence, SC
Savannah Baroque Members Anne Acker, harpsichord and Marcy Brenner, viola da gamba and tenor viol will play works by anonymous, Dowland, Kerll, Froberger, Marais,Sweelinck, Bach, and Vivaldi and others, for the inaugural concert of the 2021 Acker harpsichord commissioned by Central United Methodist Church of Florence, SC. In person limited attendance. 265 West Cheves Street, Florence, South Carolina 29501 | p: 843-662-3218 April 17, 2021 Central United Methodist Church 265 West Cheves St. Florence, SC 29501 3 p.m.