• New Britain Symphony Orchestra
    • Press
    • Musicians
    • Music Director/Conductor
    • History
    • Directors
  • Music Monday
    • April 6, 2020 – Gypsy song from Carmen Act 2
    • April 13, 2020 – Intermezzo for Vibraphone
    • April 20, 2020 – Carnival of Venice
    • April 27, 2020 – Equal Simplicity for Vibraphone
    • May 4, 2020 – La Foi
    • May 11, 2020 – Christmas Oratorio
    • May 18, 2020 – Sevdana
    • May 25, 2020 – Violin Sonata op 9, Andantino Tranquillo e Dolce
    • June 1, 2020 – Grace
    • June 8, 2020 – Friendship Trio
    • June 15, 2020 – Morning Comes
    • June 22, 2020 – Take Me Home
  • NBSO Annual Scholarship
  • Events
    • Featured Concerts
    • Free Concerts
    • Fundraisers
  • Contact
  • Donate

Mobile Menu

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

DONATE

Join Mailing List

New Britain Symphony Orchestra

Celebrating 70+ Years!

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Press
    • Music Director/Conductor
    • Musicians
    • Directors
    • History
  • NBSO Annual Scholarship
    • Past Recipients
  • Events
    • Featured Concerts
    • Free Concerts
    • Fundraisers
    • Music Monday
  • Featured Guests
    • Conductors
    • Soloists
  • Contact
    • Donate

June 15, 2020 – Morning Comes

Dana Takaki, violin and Hugh Birdsall, guitar

We have a second performance by Dana Takaki and Hugh Birdsall to share from their backyard concert a few weeks ago!

Dana Takaki is a classically trained violinist who plays with the New Britain Symphony, Chorus of Westerly and other local symphonies. She also plays with Hugh Birdsall in a duo (Hugh & Dana) and in a rock band (Dogbite). Hugh and Dana share a love for jamming at summer Farmers Markets in the region, and they enjoy mixing folk music with country, rockabilly, fake jazz, standards, and Hugh’s original songs.  Dana also leads a weekly adult fiddle class in Old Lyme.

Hugh Birdsall, has been playing music in Connecticut for decades, literally. He is a founding member of The Reducers, Dogbite, The Three-Pack, The Original Sinners, and SheSaidHeSaid. Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and bon vivant, he has toured extensively and has performed and recorded in some of the finest studios, basements, garages, dives and farmers markets in the region. Heavily influenced by 40’s hot jazz, 50’s rock n’roll, the 60’s folk movement, and the 70’s punk rock explosion, his body of work includes songs as diverse as “Black Plastic Shoes,” “Bombs Away, Lock and Load,” “Grace,” and “Wailing City Girl.” His professional and personal manifesto reads, “play for fun,for family, for friends, occasionally for profit, and always for pleasure.”

Hugh and Dana play a mix of covers and original tunes including older swing tunes (La Vie En Rose, Gershwin’s Summertime), popular covers (All Shook Up, Country Roads), fiddle classics (Down by the Riverside, Wabash Cannonball) and newer covers that feature the violin / fiddle (Fisherman’s Blues). Their playlist also includes several original songs written by Hugh Birdsall and his band (When the Morning Comes, Just Maybe).

Dana also plays violin / fiddle duets with her son, Tanner Aikens. Tanner started playing violin for fun at age 6, began formal lessons at 9. He is now a high school senior and plays Paganini for fun. At the Farmers’ Market Tanner and Dana will play classical duets including all 3 movements of the Bach Double, Pachelbel’s Canon and duet arrangements of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and other tuneful classical composers. They throw in some fiddle tunes like Ashoken Farewell and Millionaire’s Hoedown. Tanner fill any gaps in the program with improvised tunes from video games and internet comics.

Category: Music MondayTag: Music Monday, NBSO, New Britain Symphony

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

August 3- Bach’s Sonata in E major for flute

July 20, 2020 America the Beautiful

July 13, 2020 A Haunting and Tango

June 29, 2020 – Bop

June 22, 2020 – Take Me Home

June 8, 2020 – Friendship Trio

June 1, 2020 – Grace

May 25, 2020 – Violin Sonata op 9, Andantino Tranquillo e Dolce

May 18, 2020 – Sevdana

May 11, 2020 – Christmas Oratorio

May 4, 2020 – La Foi

April 27, 2020 – Equal Simplicity for Vibraphone

Previous Post: « June 8, 2020 – Friendship Trio
Next Post: June 22, 2020 – Take Me Home »

Primary Sidebar

We Depend On You!

The New Britain Symphony continues to thrive in part from the generosity of donors. Please consider donating today.  

2019-2020 season snapshots

Nov 2019 concert orchestra
Nov 10, 2019 Toshi’s Choice
November 18, 2019 Jazz Quartet
January 5, 2020 Brass Quintet and Pipe Organ concert musicians
January 5, 2020 Brass Quintet and Pipe Organ concert
February 12, 2020 Voice Piano and Harp Trio
February 12, 2020 Voice Piano and Harp Trio
March 11, 2020 Movie Brass Quintet

Footer

New Britain Symphony Orchestra

“No one can whistle a symphony.
It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”
– HE Luccock

Mission Statement

The mission of the New Britain Symphony Orchestra is to perpetuate the rich tradition of live symphonic music by presenting concerts of a high caliber performed by a professional orchestra, and to provide related education and enrichment activities, thereby contributing to the quality of life for people of all ages and ethnicities of Central Connecticut.

Donate Via PayPal or any Major Credit Card
  • New Britain Symphony Orchestra
  • Contact
  • Guest Conductors
  • Soloists

Site Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 New Britain Symphony Orchestra · All Rights Reserved