For its fifth such presentation in the “Early Music at the Grange” series, the ensemble  Schola Galante is pleased to announce a program entitled "All in the Family", chamber music  from the courts of Frederick the Great and Anna Amalia.

The patronage system, which emerged in Europe as early as the 15th century, provided a  framework through which nobility, religious institutions, and affluent members of society  could commission artists, including well-known musicians, to create enduring works.  Frederick the Great earned a reputation as a wealthy and powerful patron. However, his  sister, the Princess Anna Amalia, also employed a staƯ of skilled musicians and  composers to entertain her own court. It was also discovered fairly recently that Amalia  herself composed and performed music of high quality, a rare circumstance for that era.  

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There were other familial or quasi-familial relationships between the musicians in both  courts. Georg Philipp Telemann, a frequent visitor to both courts, was, for example, the  godfather of CPE Bach, the primary harpsichordist for Frederick’s band. The relationship  between Karl Friedrich Abel, another frequent visitor, and the Bach Family spanned two  generations, evolving from a close professional friendship between their fathers into an  influential teacher-student bond and ultimately a legendary business partnership. Finally,  both Graun brothers (Johann Gottlieb and Carl Heinrich) were employed by Frederick.  

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This program features music by Graun, Telemann, Abel and Amalia.  

Schola Galante’s members are Douglass Hjelm and Miguel Rode (Baroque flute), Dahti  Blanchard (harpsichord) and Lee Inman (viola da gamba).  

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The concert will be held at the Quimper Grange in Port Townsend on October 10th, doors open at 1:30 PM. Admission is $20 at the door. Music students of high-school age or younger are invited  to attend free of charge.