Dreading another season of canned Christmas music? Fear not. Inspired by genre-bending artists like Chris Thile and The Piano Guys; Front Porch Orchestra is giving six Delmarva-area performances of their crown jewel: 17 movements of Pytor Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet played bar-for-bar on banjo, violin, viola, two guitars, string bass and percussion. In lieu of dancers, the music is accompanied by a frumpy narrator telling a satirical rendition of the ETA Hoffman story in bits between each movement.
This concert is unlike any other performance of classical music. The arrangements retain the dynamics, countermelodies and nuance that make it a brilliant composition, while framing it in a way that keeps the average music-listener tuned in. Studio recordings can be streamed via frontporchorchestra.bandcamp.com.
Front Porch Orchestra formed in early 2017 in Easton, Md. After refining their sound for almost two years and giving successful local concerts, they will for the first time share their music outside of Maryland’s mid-shore.
Bluegrass Nutcracker performance dates:
12/1 @ 2pm: Academy Art Museum in Easton, Md
12/8 @ 2pm: Milton Theatre in Milton, De
12/14 @ 8pm: Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn, Md
12/15 @ 2pm: Church Hill Theater in Church Hill, Md
12/16 @ 2pm: Jammin Java in Vienna, Va
12/21 @ 8pm: The 447 in Cambridge, Md