Violin ensemble’s lighthearted take on winter cheer celebrates inclusive mix of holidays at Oasis Senior Center
Joe McNalley counts himself fortunate to have a career as a musician, even if it didn’t start off exactly according to his plans.
“I wanted to learn how to play cello,” he told the Daily Pilot over the phone Thursday. “I went into class at Lincoln Middle School and they said, ‘Hey that’s great; here’s your bass.’”
Instead of complaining, the Corona Del Mar High graduate embraced the opportunities learning the instrument afforded him. He grew to appreciate the bass as a versatile tool with a place in practically any ensemble. It also helped spark his love of jazz.
A willingness to try new things alongside decades of commitment to his craft led McNalley from private lessons with virtuoso instructors in San Diego and performances with the Orange County Youth Orchestra to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass. He then returned to the West Coast, where he entered the advanced studies program at UC San Diego and founded the Hutchins Consort in 1999, becoming its artistic director.
The eight-piece musical group regularly plays in Orange and San Diego counties, and has a show scheduled Sunday at the Oasis Senior Center in Newport Beach. Members use a unique set of instruments crafted as a result of over 30 years of research by science teacher-turned luthier, or stringed instrument maker, Carleen Hutchins.
The violin octet she developed achieves the full range of an entire orchestra with only eight musicians. The power and articulation each piece delivers can be difficult to describe but are apparent to many who hear them in person.
Without the aid of a microphone or amplifier, the floor rumbled beneath McNalley the first time he played a Hutchins bass violin.
“We were playing Brahms and the sound of the lowest note was so clear and carried so well in a way that no regular double bass does,” he recalled. “And I realized that was the sound that was always intended.”
The sound transmits especially well in the Oasis Center’s modern lecture hall, McNalley said. The ensemble has played there about five times before, and he described it as an underrated venue for music.
At its upcoming show, the ensemble plans on taking an open-minded approach to the concept of “holiday cheer.” Old staples associated with better known winter celebrations like Christmas and Hanukkah may wind up infused with recognizable hits by Billy Joel and others.
A piece by Bhuddist Herbie Hancock serves as a nod to both Kwanza and Bodhi Day, which traditionally commemorates when Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment. Other celebrations acknowledged in the ensemble’s program include National Violin Day on Dec. 13, and Battle of Vertières Day on Nov. 18, which memorializes a pivotal moment in Hatitan independence.
“We have this really serious art form, but I’ve got a bunch of real pranksters and jokesters too,” McNalley said.
He called Sunday’s performance something of a “homecoming” for him. It’s also a tribute to Barbara Woods, one of the ensemble’s founding board members and a longtime Balboa Island resident who died last year.
The musical group has been steadily growing its fan base in Orange County. McNalley called it a privilege to get to know the people who have been coming to its concerts over the years.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see the same faces and then see them bring new people,” McNalley said. “Having that kind of loyalty is just amazing. Because we started, essentially, with audiences of 10 people. People didn’t know what it was, and we’re building and building and building.”
Most of the other instruments Hutchins created are in the possession of museums, universities or other institutions, McNalley said. The ensemble has the only playing set of her violin octet in the world. The group is working on streamlining the process of building and painstakingly tuning new copies of the instruments in hopes of making them more available.
“We would love to help create more groups like ours,” he said. “But right now, we are the one little flower.”
“I want to see kids being able to play on these instruments ... and that’s what Carleen really wanted too,” McNalley added.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
