NEWSLETTER #111
by Wendel Werner
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE WENDEL
WERNER NEWSLETTER #111
Okay...I know some of you read these newsletters very closely. Thbis means that
you have noticed that this newsletter is numbered 111. You are probably thinking
that you didn't get #110. Well, here's the thing: #110 DID go out but somewhere
along the line there was a problem with the company hosting the website that
sends out the newsletters. As a result, no one got a newsletter. We are told the
problem has been fixed. I apologize for noone getting anything. This means I
need to go back and quickly cover a few points:
*First of all, Happy New Year!!!
*Second, here are a few things announced in the newsletter you DIDN'T get:
*Sharon Mosby and the Wendel Werner Quintet featuring Terry Schmidt will return
to the Knoxville Museum of Art on March 27th.
*Moondollars Cafe was recently named one of the top 10 places to eat in the
Knoxville/Oak Ridge area. They were named a four-star restaurant. Now, all this
is well and good BUT Moondollars cafe ALSO just booked me once a month for ALL
of 2009. With the exception of the month of May, I'll be playing the last
Saturday of each month. In May, it will the 9th. It also looks as if I'll be
doing some additional performing there throughout the year. For instance, in
October ON HALLOWEEN, we are planning on doing a performance version of "Rocky
Horror Picture Show." If you are interested in participating, let me know.
Details aren't ironed out yet, but I'll make sure all the info you need, about
ANY Moondollars performances, will be right here.
*Alan Eleazer and I will hit the road again in July for the first time in three
years. Additionally, I will be recording my next album in late March and there
will be a tour starting in early June and continuing throughout the rest of the
month.
*Speaking of tours, this spring I will be touring with the Walters State
Community College Concert Choir up through Chicago as well touring with the UT
Singers as they trek across the state to Memphis.
*Some of you remember the DON-AID concert last year that sent pastor Don Thomas
to Sudan to do some missionary work. Well, he needs some help in going back. In
early February, we'll have DON-AID II. Bigger and better. (MORE ABOUT THIS IN
LATER IN THIS NEWSLETTER)
*In early May, Wendel Werner and the House band will return to Crossville, Tn.
There are also some rumors going around that they may appear in Oak Ridge
sometime this year.
*I'm scheduled to speak at the Tennessee Music Educators Conference this coming
April. That is AFTER I'll be attending the American Choral Directors Association
conference in Oklahoma City. And, prior to THAT, I'll in Orlando, Tallahassee,
and Tampa speaking to the alumni chapters of the University of Tennessee on how
the history of rock and roll is affected by music that came from the state of
Florida.
*Finally, the month of January sees the start of my new position as the music
director at Graystone Presbyterian Church. If you are in the area or if you are
looking for a choir to join, please make it ours. Contact me, I'd love to have
you sing with me.
So,...yes, I had a lot to say about the upcoming year. BUT I HAVE learned some
information during that time. It seems that my "Let It Snow" recording was named
one of the 10 best albums by the wonderful people at the website known as
www.mainlypiano.com. This makes the third year in a row one of my recordings has
made it onto the list of the year's 10 best recordings.
Alright, let's get started with this month:
SATURDAY JANUARY 31, 2009
JEFF KILE, ALAN ELEAZER, AND WENDEL WERNER
MOONDOLLARS CAFE in OAK RIDGE, TN.
(dinner is available or just have dessert and coffee)
7PM-10PM
Okay, first of all....if you want eat dinner at this performance, you'll need to
call and make reservations. Table seating goes VERY quickly. (Moondollars tells
me that the last time I played there, they turned away almost 30 calls for
people wanting to make reservations on the day of the performance.)
Many of you know Alan Eleazer from all the work we've done together over the
past 20 years. Many of you know Jeff Kile from the work we used to do together
in this very venue when it was called the Daily Grind. Trust me on this...you
WANT to see all of us together. It's going to be a whole lot of fun. But you
want to make reservations.
www.moondollarscafe.com
(865) 482 1568
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2009
GRAYSTONE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
11AM
Many of you missed by debut Sunday...or for that matter, my debut MONTH...as the
new music director at Graystone Presbyterian. But it doesn't mean you can't come
by some Sunday and check me out. AND...you should come and sing in my choir. Our
rehearsals are on Sunday afternoons right after the service. You are through by
1:15pm. I'll be looking for you.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2008
DON-AID II (THE CONCERT FOR DON THOMAS---AGAIN!!)
TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
7PM
Okay...what I CAN tell you about this performance is that it's a fundraiser to
send Pastor Don Thomas back to Sudan for some missionary work. if you attended
this performance last year, then you know how large a production this was as
well as the varying types of music you heard all within one concert. Well...we
plan to double that...literally!! You WANT to put this on your calendar.
Now...all of the paragraph you just read came from the last newsletter that
everyone didn't get. Since then, we've finalized a lot of what is going to
happen. So, let me make this clear...YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS PERFORMANCE.
There is going to be a lot of great music that you will be VERY sad about
missing. Want a teaser? As of right now, the number of people performing looks
like it will be between 60 and 70 total. See what I mean?
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009
WALTERS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE in MORRISTOWN, TN.
FUNDRAISER CONCERT in the auditorium
7:30pm
As mentioned above, the choral program at Wlaters State will be going on a tour
up through Chicago this coming Spring. To offset some costs, the choral program
is giving this concert and the theme is love songs. I'll be performing for about
half the concert. I don't know that i have EVER done a performance of nothing
but love songs. THAT ought to be worth the drive in itself.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2009
SPRING CITY, TN.
VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER AND DANCE
TENNESSEE VALLEY THEATRE
6PM
I'll be providing the music for the dinner and dancing on the evening. My
understanding is that this is a huge deal in Spring City. I'll be bringing
several guests with me. Who...you ask? Abbe Andrews, Jessica Bolinger, Katy
Free, and Melissa Raines. If you have seen the House Band, then you've seen Abbe,
Jessica, and Katy. If you saw ANY of my Christmas concerts this past year, then
you saw Katy and Melissa. If you are in the area, then come on by.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009
GIBBS HIGH SCHOOL CHORAL CONCERT
7:00PM
Most of you know that I accompany this school on their choral concerts. This is
no different. I can't tell you what they'll be doing because I haven't seen the
music yet...with the exception of a Mozart piece I'll have to play. But it's a
good program, so the music will be good.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2009
MOONDOLLARS CAFE in OAK RIDGE, TN.
FUNDRASING CONCERT
WENDEL WERNER PRESENTS....
(featuring: SHERYL HOWARD, FRIDGE OF PENGUINS, ASHLEY SIZEMORE, MELISSA RAINES,
KATY FREE and more.)
7PM-10PM
You have no idea how excited I am about this. The kind people at Moondollars
have not only allowed me to present concerts like this, but they are also
allowing me to do a fundraiser for them to help purchase a new sound system and
lighting system. They have purchased a new performing space and made their place
a lot bigger. I thought I'd try to help them out. At the same time, they told me
that if I ever wanted to do shows like this, where I can bring in talented young
musicians, then I could. So we are killing two birds with one stone. You see the
people listed above. This is one of those performances I try to warn you
about...YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS PERFORMANCE!!!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2009
MOONDOLLARS CAFE in OAK RIDGE, TN.
7pm-10pm
So, for the past six months or so, I've done several performances with two great
friends of mine, Abbe Andrews and Jessica Bolinger. Some of the shows were blues
concerts, some were rock and roll shows, some were jazz performances. But we
felt that it would be very sad to do all that music once and that's all. So,
we're bringing it all to Moondollars on this night. We just had a rehearsal and
I can honestly tell you...YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS PERFORMANCE EITHER.
Most of you know that when I tell you that you don't want to miss a performance,
there is going to some really cool things going on at that concert. So, this
means February is a big month because
I've said it quite a bit. I value you guys too much to watse your time. I
wouldn't tell you these thigns if it weren't true.
Thanks for being patient with the website and the newsletter.
And thanks for your support.
Hopefully, I'll see you at some of these concerts and performances.
Wendel
So, before we start the new year, let me say that 2008 didn't see a new
recording by me NOR did it see me doing a big tour. Still it was the busiest
year I've ever had. That is solely because of all of you. Thank you very much
for your continued support.
Have a good New Year.
Wendel Werner