Enjoy something rare this Sunday when the Nova Baroque performs in concert at the Community Church of Vero Beach. This concert runs about 90 minutes, including intermission. It features music from the Baroque period. Like in visual art, the baroque period was more ornate and elaborate. Conjuring up an image of a baroque church, you might imagine every square inch of the wall decorated with floral design. The same aesthetic is in the music of the time – a simple melody wasn’t enough, says Nova Baroque producer Andres Roca. To get you into that Baroque mood, musicians and narrator will be decked out in 18th century costumes and hair pieces. “It sets the tone of what a 17th or 18th century concert would look like,” says Roca. “Concerts like these would have been performed in palazzi that would have been adorned with elaborate frescoes and designed to enhance the sound of the instruments.” There’s also the thrilling showmanship where each musician has a solo spotlight, even the viola. Additionally, the harpsichord has been ornately decorated with fresco painting. The Nova Baroque chamber group comprises seven professional musicians, most of them with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. There include: three violins (Lisa Ferrigno, Olga Kolpakova and Bethany Confessore), a viola (Modesto Marcano), a cello (Adriana Stenvik), oboe (Maria Luisa Copelli) and harpsichord (Sergei Kossenko). The size of the group is common for Italian baroque chamber music, Roca says. The concert includes music from well-known composers such as Vivaldi, Corelli and Albinoni, as well as lesser-known composers such as Alessandro Scarlatti, father of the famed Domenico Scarlatti. Actor Steve Britton will serve as narrator, discussing pieces, historical facts and “interesting bits of history” before each piece is performed. Audiences will enjoy this musical and visual treat from the Baroque period, Roca says. The chamber concert is part of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Evening Series. It begins 4 p.m. Sunday, July 17, at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd St. Tickets are $15. Call 772-469-2320 or visit
BrevardSymphony.com.
Rub shoulders with foodies when the Treasure Coast Foodie & Savor Club presents “Holy Grail Eats Season 2” at the Majestic 11 theaters in Vero Beach. The premiere event includes both seasons 1 and 2 of the popular foodie blog “Holy Grail Eats.” That series, hosted by professional food blogger Thomas Miller, features two area restaurants on each episode. It’s quite impossible to watch those episodes without instantly Googling the location for each of the restaurants. The dishes look sublime and Miller’s enthusiasm and knowledge make for a good “pairing” with the epicurean delights. The event at the Majestic 11 includes a preview of the final episode of season 2, which means you’ll be at the front of the line to get reservations for some assuredly great restaurants. There will also be free popcorn and soda offered. Moreover, you get a chance to meet and greet Miller. Tickets are $20 per person and $18 for Savor Club members. The event runs 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The show starts 7 p.m. Majestic 11 theater is at 940 14th Lane, Vero Beach. Visit TreasureCoastFoodie.com and then click onto “events” to get tickets.
If you’ve never heard about an Ultra Marathon, which runs 100 miles, then you might want to check out the Vero Beach Octopus Ultra. It takes place this weekend, beginning 6 a.m. Saturday July 16 to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 17, in the Vero Beach area. The race is divided into eight parts, hence the “Octopus” moniker. First is the “Sunrise” start, a 5-mile run in part through Captain Forester Hammock Preserve and the Jungle Trail. The second part is “Gilligan’s Island,” which is along railroad tracks and onto a pontoon party boat. There’s also “Paradise” along the river, “Oasis” again in the Jungle Trail, the “Howl at the Moon” nighttime run on the beach, “Purgatory” through a haunted cemetery, the unending “Twlight Zone” and “Pyromania,” which takes you back to the Environmental Learning Center. The races begin at the Environmental Learning Center, 255 Live Oak Dr., Vero Beach. Fees range from $50 to $200 with part of proceeds benefiting the Environmental Learning Center. Although official registration is over, you can still show up and volunteer. For more information, visit UltraSignUp.com or visit the Vero Beach Octopus Ultra Facebook page.”
