Nancy Allen — Gossamer Trio harpist and principal harpist of the New York Philharmonic — has an excellent sense of rhythm.
For this, she credits her father, Don, an amateur “Buddy Rich-style” drummer and professional medical photographer. He woke Nancy and her two sisters at 6:30 every morning by playing John Philip Sousa marches full-blast on the record player.
Every morning.
That kind of repetition, so early in the morning, seeps into your bones.
Nancy returns with her trio to perform a special Shelter Island Friends of Music concert on Saturday, September 3 at 7 PM at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. Joining her is her daughter, Claire Marie Solomon, on cello, and Carol Wincenc, on flute. It’s a celebration of nearly a half-century history of SIFM, which was the brainchild of Nancy and her father.
SIFM’s first concert
Forty-six years ago, Nancy was a 20-something harpist already hailed by the New York Times as “a major artist” when she performed the first-ever SIFM concert. She and her father had teamed up with Island residents Dorothy Zabriskie and Dorothy Seiberling to deliver high-quality classical music regularly to the people of Shelter Island for free.
“Many of my friends performed in the series, including the American and Emerson Quartets and flutist Ransom Wilson,” she recalled in a recent interview.
Other friends/performers included the American Brass Quintet, soprano Jan DeGaetani, and pianist David Oei, who selected the SIFM’s Baldwin grand piano and played the inaugural performance. The piano, reconditioned last year, has resided in the acoustically splendid sanctuary of the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church all these years.
Nancy returned several times in the early years and performed at SIFM’s 100th concert. She reached out during the pandemic, offering to play another concert for SIFM. The purpose was to celebrate “the grassroots beginning of this series, which has developed so wonderfully,” she said. “I am impressed that the series has continued for so many years.”
Welcomed back with open arms
Of course, SIFM’s new president, Lois B. Morris, and its board welcomed back Allen with open arms. Beth Swanström, owner of the boutique bed and breakfast Seven on Shelter Island and a valued SIFM patron, generously offered to provide housing for the trio — on Labor Day weekend, no less.
The concert will also celebrate the lives of SIFM’s two past presidents, Dorothy Seiberling and Forrest Compton.
Gossamer Trio has planned an eclectic program with music composed between 1730 and 2019, including J.S. Bach, Théodore Dubois, Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Béla Bartók, and Will Healy.
Join us as we honor old friends and new ones. A wine and cookies reception will follow the concert. As always, the concert is free, thanks to our generous donors. Wearing masks is strongly encouraged.
Shelter Island Friends of Music season finale
Please also save the date for the final concert of the 2022 season featuring the Balourdet Quartet on Sunday, October 9 at 8 PM (note the later start time).
The quartet was to appear at our June concert but had to reschedule; three groups from the Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Festival filled in splendidly.
For more information about Shelter Island Friends of Music, to join our mailing list, or to make a secure donation, visit our website, shelterislandfriendsofmusic.org.
JoAnn Kirkland assists the Shelter Island Friends of Music Board of Directors
