Play Every Town is coming to Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – On Sunday, October 20, at 3 p.m., composer and pianist David Feurzig will perform at the First Congregational Church of Springfield, 77 Main Street, as part of his “Play Every Town” concert series. Admission is free; Donations are being accepted for the Black River Action Team (BRAT).

In May 2022, Feurzieh launched Play Every Town, 252 free concerts in each of Vermont’s 252 towns to address climate change through the power of community and music. With this project, Feurzig will be the first musician to perform in every community in Vermont. He travels around the state in his solar-powered electric vehicle offering free concerts to bring attention to the interconnected issues of climate and community, challenging the normality of long-distance travel and travel, while inspiring the joy of music to his audiences .

“I want to support Vermont’s local communities with live performances in village centers and downtowns while fulfilling UVM’s mission of serving as a resource for the entire state,” says Feurzieh, a music professor at UVM who specializes in bringing cross-genre concerts Music from an astonishing variety of musical styles, from ancient and classical to jazz, avant-garde and popular traditions. These stunning comparisons, peppered with informative and humorous commentary, result in eye- and ear-opening programs that will change the way you listen to all types of music.

Each program is locally tailored. In Springfield, Feurzig will play music by Child Mozart from 1761, the year Springfield was founded, and his popular Variations on “Twinkle Twinkle” from the year the Congregational Church was founded, while a selection of Chopin’s Mazurkas from 1833 mark the year Springfield was founded. The current church building was completed. In 1954, U.S. Sen. Ralph Flanders of Springfield asked Joseph McCarthy, “Don’t you have any decency?” In honor of this pivotal moment in the tide of McCarthyism, Feurzig will perform Errol Garner’s 1954 classic “Misty.”

Kyle Washburn of Springfield, a former student of Feurzieh’s at UVM, will join him in performing Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,” while Chloé Husser will sing Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me,” published in 1972, the year the church was founded Yamaha grand piano was manufactured. Like every concert in the project, this one will also feature its own unique sonata by Domenico Scarlatti: “Sonata No. 66” for this 66th concert of the project. Further solo pieces round off the program. Entry is free, with voluntary donations going to the BRAT for its ongoing river clean-up and flood resilience work, as well as encouraging the planting of many native shrubs, trees, grasses and flowering plants to help the soil grow so it can better absorb storm water . The advantage is that wherever the vegetation is planted, there will be shade and cooling of the microclimate, replacing hard, hot surfaces where possible.

Feurzig believes his approach attracts new audiences to so-called “classic” concerts and offers new insights to existing fans. “Classical music culture places the ‘great composers’ on an almost religious pedestal. This used to be a sign of love and respect from the audience, but today it just distances people from the music. It turns off new listeners who feel like they’re in a stuffy museum instead of a live concert. If I don’t get a laugh from the audience in the first two minutes, I’m worried.”

Follow Feurzig on his journey on Instagram, find current events for your city on Facebook, or visit the website at www.playeverytown.com.