Time for Three to Shine

Time for Three to Shine

On Friday Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. the Maryland Symphony Orchestra performed at Frostburg University’s Performing Arts Center. The more than 50 member orchestra is comprised of everything from the Violin to the Oboe. The MSO are in their 32^nd season and current the music director is Elizabeth Schulze. While the MSO were amazing, it was their special guest, Time for Three who the audience will remember from the night.

Time for Three is a three man string group who have been together for the past 13 years. The group is made up of 2 violinists, Zach De Pue and Nick Kendall, and 1 bassist Ranaan Meyer. The three met while they were students at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Time for Three gained recognition worldwide for their rendition of the Kanye West song “Stronger”, which was featured on CNN and numerous other media outlets. Last night however, the group didn’t perform any modern music; instead they wowed the crowd with classics that they played with massive amounts of energy and emotion.

Time for Three joined the MSO on the 2^nd piece of the night which was a combination of two songs, “Shenandoah” and “Foxdown”. As soon as Ranaan played the first note, the feeling in the air changed. The MSO members were like the Queens Guard, they sat upright in their seats, and played with grace and elegance. Time for Three weren't so structured. The three stood up, moved around and had fun the whole night. At times they even slowed down the proceedings by drawing out certain parts of songs.

Time for Three had total control over the audience all night. Laughter would ensue whether they were simply talking to the audience or humorously playing their instruments. At times Ms. Schulze would turn to the group and wait patiently for the trio to end their shenanigans and move on in the song. Every piece of music that they played was amazing. The group was able to play at extremely fast tempos where the music would begin to sound frantic, as well as play at slow tempos where every note was filled with emotion. Time for Three could do it all.

The bar was set high in the first act and most of the crowd was wondering if the high standard would continue in the second act. “So far it’s very energetic, but how long can they keep this up?” Greg Bryant wondered. His wife Cathy however didn't care much about the second half, she was still reflecting on the first one. “That second piece was absolutely beautiful.” She said.

 

The audience’s questions were answered when the MSO and Time for Three came back out for the second half and it was more of the same. The energy was there as well as the flawless playing that was present in the first half. The standout piece of the night was Hallelujah, which was performed by both groups. The song captured the entire audience. It was filled with emotion and was played as if it was the last song either group would ever play. Once they were done they received a standing ovation from the crowd. Time for Three came back out to give an encore and to send the crowd home happy, but they already accomplished that the moment they played their first note. “Mark Wilson said it best when he said “Now that’s a way to end a week right there.”

Time For Three Website: http://tf3.com/index.php

Time For Three Twitter: https://twitter.com/tf3
Photo courtesy of: http://ces.frostburg.edu/mso.html