THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA BRINGS SOUNDWAVES CHAMBER CONCERTS TO CLEARWATER CHURCH

The Florida Orchestra (TFO) is expanding it Soundwaves chamber series to the Church of the Ascension in Clearwater starting this month. The series is a unique opportunity to experience TFO’s world-class musicians playing chamber music in an intimate setting.

TFO will perform three chamber concerts at the Church of the Ascension, located in downtown Clearwater at 701 Orange Ave. in the historic Harbor Oaks neighborhood. Built in 1925, the church is a grand historic landmark, with distinctive architecture and stained-glass windows that ofer a stunning setting for chamber music. In addition, three previously announced performances are scheduled at the charming Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg. The series is made possible by generous donors who prefer to remain anonymous.

Tickets are $25, all fees included, with general admission seating. They are available now at https://floridaorchestra.org/ or by phone at 727-892-3337.

The chamber series concert schedule is: Pictures at an Exhibition Revisited

Chelsea Gallo, conductor

Listen to a beloved classic in a whole new way with this colorful version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, arranged for chamber orchestra by Australian-Chinese composer Julian Yu. Beethoven’s lighthearted septet for Winds and Strings in E-flat major was his most popular work during his lifetime.

Staf Report

It will be on Friday, February 10, 8 p.m., at the Church of the Ascension and Saturday, February 11, 8 p.m., at the Palladium Theater.

Te Sorcerer’s Apprentice & More

Chelsea Gallo, conductor Program includes Dukas’ magical The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Saint Saëns’ Danse Macabre, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks and more. Note: This program is presented without intermission.

It will be on Thursday, March 9, 8 p.m. at the Church of the Ascension and Sunday, March 12, 2 p.m., at the Palladium Theater — a matinee.

Michael Francis conducts Bruckner’s Seventh Fall in love with Anton Bruckner in this intimate chamber version, conducted by music director Michael Francis. Influences of Beethoven and Wagner shine through his most popular symphony.

It will be on Friday, April 21, 8 p.m., at the Church of the Ascension and Saturday, April 22, 8 p.m., at the Palladium Theater.

TFO will perform more than 100 concerts this season in venues throughout Tampa Bay, including a wide range of classical, popular, film, rock and family-friendly music. The orchestra’s 55th Celebration concert featuring legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman will be Saturday, March 11 at the Mahafey Theater. Tickets for all concerts are on sale now at https://floridaorchestra. org/.

Te Doors of Te Church Are Open

Experience A Spark Of History Through The Edison And Ford Winter Estates

If you are looking to enjoy the beautiful Florida weather and learn something along the way, look no further than then the uber-charming Edison and Ford Winter Estates in downtown Fort Myers on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s a perfect recipe of U.S. and Florida history with a dash of architecture, botany, engineering and innovation mixed in.

Prolific inventor Thomas Edison and automobile pioneer Henry Ford, personal friends and business collaborators, purchased adjacent winter estates near the Fort Myers waterfront to escape the brutal northern winters. The Edison estate boasts a main house, adjoining guest house, Edison’s study, caretaker’s home and swimming pool complex. The Ford estate sits steps away next door.

Just an hour-and-a-half drive south on I-75 from the Tampa Bay area, these homes take visitors on a journey back to the turn of the 20th century to discover how these two great men lived, worked and played in the Florida sunshine. Today, the complex (and your admission ticket) includes an expansive museum, botanical gardens, historic homes, garages of classic Ford automo-

By Jef Hoening

biles, Edison’s study and his Florida laboratory.

Visitors could spend hours perusing the myriad of Edison inventions, such as the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, even the movie camera. Edison filed and held an astounding 1,093 patents, 389 for light and power alone, and his contribution to sound and picture recording is monumental.

Check out the beautifully maintained 1916 Ford Model-T given to Edison by Ford. Ford once said of the famous Model-T, “The consumer can choose any color he wants as long as it’s black.” So why was it called the Model T? Simple! The first design of the ‘horseless carriage’ was called the ‘Model A,’ and subsequent designs moved down the alphabet.

Have fun with the scavenger hunt with your littles or enjoy the self-guiding tour with the easy-to-download app. And be sure to look for the photo of Edison napping on the lawn with the President of the United States reading the newspaper in the background. www.edisonfordwinterestates.org.

Is Your Child Speaking Clearly?

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- Cortney, Mom