Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
COVENANT SERIES showcases mountain, hammered dulcimer aces
Three top dulcimer players, including one who’s a familiar face on campus, will be featured in the John Hamm Performing Arts Series tonight, Feb. 2, at Covenant College.
Adjunct music professor Stephen Humphries will be joined by fellow h a mmered du l c i mer player Dan Landrum and mountain dulcimer player Aaron O’Rourke for the concert. All are based in the Chattanooga area.
Dan Landrum plays and teaches hammered dulcimer and publishes the quarterly Dulcimer Players News magazine. His skills have taken him from street performances to Olympic ceremonies to presidential inaugurations to touring with Yanni.
Aaron O’Rourke began teaching and performing on mountain dulcimer at age 16 and went on to win the National Mountain Dulcimer Competition at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kan., in 2010.
Stephen Humphries is a national hammered dulcimer champion who has released five recordings on hammered dulcimer, including one of original music with Landrum. He also teaches music at Silverdale Baptist Academy.
A key part of their performance will be to showcase the versatility of these little- known folk instruments. A mountain dulci- mer, somewhat resembling a long, narrow guitar, is a fretted string instrument. The hammered dulcimer, precursor to a piano, is played by striking the trapezoid-shaped sounding board with small sticks called hammers.
The annual series is named for Dr. John Hamm, who served in Covenant’s music department for more than 30 years (and founded Choral Arts of Chattanooga). It is coordinated by assistant professor of music David Tahere.
Its aim is to bring world- renowned musical artists to the Lookout Mountain, Ga., campus. In addition to public recitals, the artists offer masterclasses and opportunities for one-on-one coaching with students.
The final date in the 2016-17 series is Tuesday, Feb. 21, with guitarists Petar Jankovic and Daniel Duarte.