

Frogs and Friends with the Bellavente Wind Quintet
Fall 2011 MusicGood albums of classically inspired music for children are rarer than one might think. The Bellavente Wind Quintet is an ensemble of artists and friends from San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Arcata and Connecticut. The Bellavente musicians met while pursuing their shared passion for performing classical and contemporary music with leading chamber music ensembles and symphony, opera, ballet and Broadway show orchestras of the San Francisco Bay Area. Frogs and Friends is their second CD of songs and stories for children. Stories include award-winning children's author Arnold Lobel's "The Garden" from his classic Frog and Toad Together, as well as a traditional English ghost story called "The Teeny Tiny Woman." Lovely renditions of Handel's "Sinfonia," Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," the famous "Liberty Bell March" from the songbook of John Phillip Sousa, and a delightful wind quintet rendition of George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" are also featured. There is even an imaginative set of variations on "Happy Birthday To You." Extensive liner notes geared toward teachers and educators on the background of all the songs is included. This album is a lovely and exciting way to introduce children to the joys of classical music.