The Wildflower Quintet, by Jenni Brandon, Performed by The Kalliope Reed Quintet at The Cultural Center of Cape Cod

The Wildflower Quintet, by Jenni Brandon, performed by The Kalliope Reed Quintet at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, March 19, 2022, 7:30 PM EST. The Cultural Center performance is at 307 Old Main St, South Yarmouth, MA 02664, (508) 394-7100. For more details, visit the Center’s website. Tickets ($25) at www.cultural-center.org or by calling 508-394-7100. COVID restrictions are in force.

Kalliope’s program will feature both female and non-binary composers, including such works as: This — Francine Trester (reflecting on her personal experience of the pandemic)

Thaw — Becky Turro (portraying a trip to Acadia National Park in March 2017)

Wildflower Quintet — Jenni Brandon (reflecting the work of Ladybird Johnson)

The Wildflower Quintet for Reed Quintet (Oboe/English horn, Clarinet, Soprano/Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon), is a re-imagining of Jenni’s work The Wildflower Trio (oboe, bassoon, piano). It was commissioned in 2004 by the College of Fine Arts of the University of Texas at Austin to honor and celebrate the life and environmental work of Lady Bird Johnson. The Reed Quintet version was commissioned by Kalliope Reed Quintet. The inspiration for the piece came from a poetry book written by one of Mrs. Johnson’s friends, Bette Woolsey Castro. Her book, The Wildflower, was inspired by the opening of Lady Bird’s Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas, and contains a collection of poems about wildflowers and nature.

The five movements of The Wildflower Quintet for Reed Quintet (Oboe/English horn, Clarinet, Soprano/Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon) are based on the imagery from several poems by Bette Woolsey Castro.

  1. Wildflowers
  2. Wild Rose and Butterfly
  3. The Hummingbird
  4. Indian Paintbrush
  5. Summer Garden

In this newly re-imagined version for Reed Quintet that was commissioned, recorded, and premiered by the Kalliope Quintet, the colors of the quintet add additional voices to the many wildflowers in Texas and across the United States. These instruments help to paint a broad picture of colors, shapes, and majesty of the flowers, and continue to honor the legacy and work of Mrs. Johnson.