Three generations of the Richardson family show their musical prowess Thursday night with a concert at Texarkana College: "How Merrily We Live: Madrigals and More."
The Richardsons will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Stilwell Humanities Music Hall.
Celia Richardson, a longtime local music teacher and retired from her full-time faculty professorship at TC, says the cross-generational concert will include her daughters with their husbands and children. "You have to audition to be in our family," she joked.
All three generations have developed a love and appreciation for music, and 14 of the family members will perform this night, ranging in age from 10 to 69.
For Richardson herself, her bond with music started at a young age. "In my case, my parents put me in piano lessons when I was 4," she recalled. As she grew up, participation in choir was a constant, so voice and piano became her beloved forms of musical expression.
Richardson primarily taught choir in local schools and was, she said, "promoted to college." Her husband trained by ear and learned music, too, so they've often performed together, even recording albums of church music, the kind of music they play for family and friends.
"We're big singers," Richardson said.
In the past year, though, they all began singing madrigals for fun, including the grandchildren. It's a challenging form of music to sing, putting pressure on a singer to carry your line. Though difficult, it's a lot of fun if you can do it, Richardson said.
Of the madrigals singers in the Renaissance era, Richardson said they'd sit around after eating dinner and perform these difficult songs where each singer has a certain part to sing. "It's like everybody has their melody," she said. Madrigals, thus, will be one part of the Richardson recital.
On the other hand, the audience will also be treated to piano pieces and more. Richardson's son-in-law, Texarkana Youth Symphony Orchestra Conductor Steve Bennett, has a string quartet. You'll also hear performers on the trombone, flute and cello-all solos. It will all be short music, filled with variety.
"There's only one piece that's over two or three minutes long," Richardson said. Expect to hear music by composers ranging from hometown hero Scott Joplin to Aaron Copland, music from the 1500s to today.
She says the family was both flattered and excited to be asked to perform. They've performed at various times in various permutations of the family, but never all together like this. "A rare opportunity," she said.
Appropriately enough, the theme for this season's TC music series is "Friends and Family."
(Admission: $5. For more information, contact Mary Scott Goode at [email protected] or 903-823-3371 or Dee Dee Harrison at [email protected] or 903-823-3360.)