Medley of musicians to play on South Whidbey

Five musicians are coming together for a rare night of music on Whidbey Island.

Five musicians, each with distinct backgrounds, are coming together for a rare night of music on Whidbey Island.

At 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island, South Whidbey guitarist Andre Feriante and pianist Sheila Weidendorf will be joined by off-island instrumentalists for a night of musical performances and poetry titled “Inward Journey.” The concert is located at 20103 Highway 525 in Freeland. The suggested donation for attending is $20.

Sitarist Sharanjeet Singh Mand from Canada, drummer Gabriel Gold from Iceland and lutist Gus Denhard from Seattle are the visiting talent.

“I think it is really a unique combination of artists. It’s an opportunity to hear something you might not hear very often,” said Feriante, who is curating the impromptu event. He knows the other musicians from his travels, past collaborations and the Whidbey Island Guitar Festival, which he founded.

The music will be a blend of traditional, classical and meditative. Feriante said the sitar can have a zen-like quality, and Gold is bringing an unusual instrument called a hang drum that makes a soothing sound.

“It looks like a flying saucer,” Feriante said. “It has an otherworldly sound to it, like maybe it belongs to another planet or something.”

He expects there will be one or two improvisations with everyone present.

“A lot of that hinges on the key of the drum,” he said.

In addition, some poetry will be sprinkled into the night, including original works. Feriante and Weidendorf have experimented with reading poetry during their concerts before.

Although the upcoming event takes place on a Sunday night, Feriante hopes this will not discourage Whidbey residents from attending.

“Drive slowly, use your high beams,” he said with a laugh.

He added, “It will be an eclectic, relaxing and hopefully inspiring and maybe cathartic journey for people.”

Photo provided
Gabriel Gold

Photo provided Gabriel Gold

Photo provided
Gus Denhard

Photo provided Gus Denhard

Photo provided
Sharanjeet Singh Mand

Photo provided Sharanjeet Singh Mand

Photo provided
Sheila Weidendorf

Photo provided Sheila Weidendorf