STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Ellen Sanders has one word for you concerning her solo recital on Sunday: Scordatura.
It means tuning a stringed instrument differently from the normal standard tuning to create special effects.
And she’ll be doing just that Sunday evening when she retunes her cello for Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 5.”
The piece is written with the A string—the highest string—tuned down a whole step to a G. It’s designed to create special effects in the piece, which has no chords, despite Bach’s penchant as an organist for employing chords.
The piece was performed by Yo-Yo Ma on the first anniversary of 9-11. And Sanders will play the piece during her first solo recital in Sun Valley.
The free hour-long concert will start at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Sun Valley Road. A reception will follow.
The concert, titled “Remembrance and Traditions,” will transport the audience to the Baroque era
It will include Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 5” and Tomas Albinoni’s “Adagio in G Minor.”
And the audience will get to see Sanders’ nimble fingers when she performs a tarantella folk dance.
Joel Bejot will accompany Sanders on a couple of the pieces.
Sanders, who has played cello with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony for 26 years, moved here in 2016 from Oakland to teach music students privately and as part of a joint effort between the Blaine County School District and Symphony School of Music.
She also is principal cellist for the Santa Cruz Symphony, and performs with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Opera Sun Jose and San Francisco Opera.