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09/06/2019 12:00 AMElisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp of “The Sound of Music“ fame, will be appearing in concert at The Lutheran Church of Madison, 9 Britton Lane, on Friday, October 4.
For Elisabeth, growing up in Vermont, “the sounds of music“ were part of her earliest memories. Music was always present and inspiring her at home, from the baroque instruments and four-part harmonies of the legendary Trapp Family Singers, to a classical symphony on the phonograph or the voices of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and the Rolling Stones on the radio.
As she recalls, “Cold winter nights...I would sit on my bed in the dark, picking out a Joni Mitchell song on my guitar as the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on the phonograph would float up the stairs from the living room below where my mother sat knitting. Some of my earliest memories are of music...it has had an impact on me and continues to guide me; music has given me a place to be.”
Elisabeth began taking piano lessons when she was eight, and by sixteen she was traveling the back roads of New England with her guitar, performing with her siblings at weddings, gospel meetings and county fairs. Since then, her voice has been heard from small folk clubs and concert halls to the White House, National Cathedral and the Kennedy Center. She has released five self-produced albums and her music has been featured on BBC Radio, Japanese National Radio and CNN Spanish Radio. She has appeared on CBS’s Eye on People, ABC’s Good Morning America and BBC TV.
Building on her famed family’s legacy, Elisabeth has created her own musical style, at once ethereal and earthy, delicate and powerful. Listeners have likened her to Judy Collins. Critics have called her voice “joyfully expressive” and “simply beautiful.” Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K8B1YEi_wQ to listen to her hauntingly clear voice.
Describing her unique musical approach, The Chicago Tribune has said, “Elisabeth von Trapp sings with an astonishing clarity about disappointment, the power of love and coming of age...” The New York Times is quoted as having written, “Her voice is hauntingly clear and her lyrics tender and romantic,” while the Bennington Banner reported, ”It is one of those special occasions where a performer completely captivates an audience...Only after an encore would the enraptured audience let her leave.”
As Elisabeth sits on a stool in the spotlight with only a guitar, her voice is mesmerizing and her performance draws audiences in. As one concert attendee noted, “I don’t believe I have ever witnessed an audience so focused and enraptured with a performer and his/her music!”
Please join us on Friday, October 4, at 7 p.m., for an evening of inspiring music that you won’t forget. A free-will offering will be taken, a portion of which will go to the 70th Anniversary Fund of the church. After her performance, Elisabeth will be greeting her audience in the church lobby, where her CDs will be available for sale. For more information, please go to www.lutheranchurchofmadison.com or call 203-245-4145.