Julie Williamson Says I Should Tell My Friends.

I attend a unique series of concerts which are part of the Martha/Mary Yamaha Series.  I think it's so named, because it used to take place, or maybe parts of it still do, at St Martha's Cathedral on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami Shores.  But I don't attend those concerts.  I've been going to the ones at La Merced Chapel and Corpus Christi Church at 32nd St and NW 7th Avenue.  I think it's in the Allapattah section.

I have almost never attended a concert there that wasn't spectacular.  It's all early music.  The one concert I heard there that wasn't great featured a premier harpsichordist who lives in Miami, and he was so taken with himself that he decided he didn't need to practice for the concert.  But the other harpsichordist practiced, and she was magnificent.  And so were all the other concerts I heard there.

The other interesting feature of these concerts is the price.  It's embarrassingly low.  The cheap seats are $15, and the big spenders pay $25 to sit closer.  But since it's a very small venue, it really doesn't matter where you sit, if all you want to do is listen to the music, and look at the amazing art collection someone put together in that room.  I forgot if they call it "Columbian" or "pre-Columbian," but it's ancient art to go with the ancient music.  They're very proud of that venue, and when you go there, they give you a handout just to talk about the renovation project.

After the concert, they serve not particularly drinkable wine, and fruit and cheese.  It's a very pleasing gesture.

Here's how I "met" Julie Williamson.  (I don't actually know who Julie Williamson is, but I might have met her one time when I was there to buy a ticket.)  I decided that this year, since the price is so low anyway, I would get myself the big spender $25 seats.  And I further decided that I would subscribe to the season of four concerts, and I would pay $100 for the "Blue Circle" subscription.  When I tried to buy this subscription, it said the "Blue Circle" was no longer available.  I thought maybe those few better seats had already been snapped up.  So, I replied to the e-blast, asking if it was true that the "Blue Circle" subscription was no longer available.  Yes, indeed it is still available, wrote back Julie Williamson.  And she'd find out what was wrong with the listing on the site.  No problem, she later wrote to me; I can go buy my "Blue Circle" subscription.

Well, when I went back to do it, I encountered Eventbrite, which wanted an additional $7 and something.  In that I am, in fact, a cheapskate, I wrote back to Julie Williamson to ask if I could just give her a check or cash, and not pay something to Eventbrite, of which I don't approve anyway.  Yup, we can do that.  I should mail Julie Williamson a check.  And tell my friends.  That's what Julie Williamson asked me to do.  So, I'm telling you.  Do yourselves a favor, if you love early (Baroque-ish) classical music, it would intrigue you to see a remarkable church renovation with a Columbian or pre-Columbian theme, and you don't like to spend a lot of money.  And you like intimate settings.  And cheese and fruit.  (Stay away from the wine.)


You can find this series at marthamaryconcerts.org.  The first concert is Saturday night, October 12, and Sunday afternoon, October 13.  If you go Saturday night, it's more expensive.  I'm often busy on Saturday nights, and I really am a cheapskate, so...

This season, it appears there are two concerts that are not early music.  Dafnis Prieto is a jazz percusssionist, and Shelly Berg and Martin Bejerano are jazz pianists.