The 3rd concert of the newly formed Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society, ?Music for a Spring Evening? was a delightful, unique experience for those few truly knowledgeable about classical music, as well as the rest of us.

Flautist, Christine Gangelhoff and pianist, Christy Lee, currently part of the music department faculty at College of the Bahamas in Nassau, are both accomplished musicians and enthusiastic educators. Not only did their music move the audience, their engaging descriptions of the composer and story behind each piece, swept them off the stage and into our hearts.

The wide-ranging program, with works by C.P.E. Bach, Schumann, Poulenc, Chopin, and Arminov, culminated with the thrilling ?Carmen Fantasy? by Francis Borne, which brought the audience to its feet.

The following afternoon, eight young local piano and flute students were treated to a free ?master class? conducted by Gangelhoff and Lee. Students were given the opportunity to perform, and to receive advice on how to improve their skills. It was a rare and worthwhile experience for the participants.

This was the second free ?master class? the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society has offered to Freeport?s youth, the first being in January with the Canadian pianist, Tannis Gibson. These ?master classes?, in conjunction with the concerts, are all part of the Society?s mission to bring a diversity of world class performing artists to the island, and to give back to our local performing art students.

Photo: Christy Lee (pianist) and Christine Gangelhoff (floutist) at the piano at Church of the Ascension.