Two Great Chances to Face the Music this Weekend

Ah, that old Queens lament: So little time, so many unique, inspiring concerts to attend. On Friday, Bernadette Morris will perform at the New York Irish Center. A rising star on the Emerald Isle, this Belfast-based talent has spent 25 of her 32 years on stage and/or immersed in music. She offers a fresh take on traditional Irish folk songs, singing in English and Gaelic and playing a mean fiddle.

After the concert, attendees should go right to sleep so they are rested for two Sunday concerts by Face the Music, the country’s only youth ensemble that is dedicated to the creation and performance of classical music by living composers. Over the past decade, this group has grown from an after-school club of eight kids to a band with 135-plus people from all over the Tri-State Area who convene every week to write, rehearse, and perform together. On this date at the Queens Museum, they will tackle Michael Gordon’s Trance, which is rarely performed because of its size (22 players needed), length (52 minutes), and difficulty (it’s been described as “classic music on the way to a heavy metal  meltdown”). More details and another photo are on the jump page.

Friday details: Bernadette Morris, New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, February 7th, 7:30 pm, $22/$17 for seniors, students, and the unemployed.

Saturday details: Face the Music, Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, February 8th, 2 pm and 4 pm, free.