Mar 18 2017
Sip, Sup & Song: Ukiah Symphony

Sip, Sup & Song: Ukiah Symphony "Fun-Raiser"

Presented by Ukiah Symphony at BARRA of Mendocino

The elegant tasting room of Barra of Mendocino in Redwood Valley will be the site of a “fun-raiser” for the Ukiah Symphony on Saturday, March 18, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Singing for Your Supper: Sheridan Malone and Thin Air String Band headline Ukiah Symphony fundraiser.

Titled “Sip, Sup & Song,” the evening will feature a catered meal by Beth Kieffer, Barra wine for purchase, and the vocal talents of Sheridan Malone, aided by members of the Thin Air String Band. The musicians will roam amongst the tables like troubadours, singing and playing string instruments during what is sure to be an unusually delicious meal.

Noted Hopland caterer Beth Kieffer will be in charge of the dinner, using mainly local and organic foods and including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Nonalcoholic beverages are included with the meal.

A silent auction will take place and will include such items as wines from Barra, Girasole, Parducci, Rivino, Simaine and Testa; jewelry by Amy Patton; a quilt wall hanging by Ukiah Symphony cellist Jean Craig; fiber art by Ursula Partch; ceramics from Jan Hoyman; artwork by Anne Foote, Mark Gordon, and Jaye-Alison Moscariello; and gift certificates from Parducci, Ukiah Valley Golf Course, Toppers Salon, Ukiah Garden Café and masseuse Anna Heggenhougen. The Take 1 Jazz Trio will donate up to three hours of jazz for a private function. There will also be a free raffle.

A longtime Ukiah resident, Sheridan Malone started out his singing career by joining a barbershop chorus that met in the evenings after his day job repairing import cars. He studied with singing teacher (specializing in opera) Nadine Patton in Willits and began extending his range in more ways than one, taking roles with Gloriana Opera and the Ukiah Players Theatre, and starring in a production of Showboat at Marin Civic Light Opera. These days Malone plays and sings both folk and Americana on his own and with the Thin Air String Band, an Americana and bluegrass group he formed in 2009; writes original songs, on topics ranging from Civil War history to the ins and outs of romance to the death of a child; and teaches songwriting and the art of singing in Ukiah and at various music camps, most recently RiverTunes, a creativity camp near Pinecrest Lake in Southern California.

Malone has a pure tenor that is best heard in person, conveying warmth and clarity simultaneously. It sounds effortless, but of course it isn’t. In his voice training classes, Malone emphasizes that whether a student wants to sing roots music or some other kind, they need to get back to their own roots–way back. “When you were flat on your back in diapers and rattling the windows, you did that without any training,” he says. “It’s very simple: We’re a wind instrument.” After teaching students how to enlist the muscles of their own wind instrument in order to really breathe, they can then apply pressure to generate more sound. “If you can make a small sound that’s not breathy, then you can crank it up. People can make a whole lot more noise than they think without any strain,” Malone explains.

This special evening will not only be filled with music, but will also help to support a musical cause—the Ukiah Symphony Orchestra, which is now celebrating its 38th anniversary. Board President Jean Stirling says, “Board members like to call these joyful festivities ‘fun-raisers’” because each one brings out the best aspects of a community—whether it is, in this case, the musicians who make up the Thin Air String Band, the winemakers and catering crew, the local businesses and artists who donate auction and raffle items, or the captivating architecture of the Barra tasting room itself. Yet, Stirling adds, “There would be no fun in ‘fun-raisers’ or a 38th anniversary without partygoers, audience members, and donors. I look forward to thanking people personally on the 18th.”

Tickets for “Sip, Sup & Song” are $60 per person and are available at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah and online at www.ukiahsymphony.org. Tables for eight can be reserved by calling the Ukiah Symphony phone line at 707 462-0236. Barra of Mendocino is located at 7051 N. State Street in Redwood Valley.

Article by Roberta Werdinger

Admission Info

Tickets for “Sip, Sup & Song” are $60 per person and are available at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah and online at www.ukiahsymphony.org. Tables for eight can be reserved by calling the Ukiah Symphony phone line at 707 462-0236.

Phone: 707 462-0236

Dates & Times

2017/03/18 - 2017/03/18

Location Info

BARRA of Mendocino

7051 North State Street, Redwood Valley, CA 95470