HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- Jamie Letourneau said the most common reaction of newcomers to Garth Newel Music Center is "Why haven't I heard of this place before?"
She and Jay Batley were in Charleston this past week to spread the word about the Bath County, Va., music center and its 10-week summer season, which opened this weekend.
Here's how Letourneau, administrative assistant for the center, described a Garth Newel experience:
"You come up the fourth-mile-long drive, and there's 119 acres of gorgeous views through the gaps of the mountain, and you hear an amazing concert while having a glass of wine. The quartet is informal and always shares something of interest about the piece they'll be playing.
"Most of the those who stay for dinner are at tables for eight and often sit with a musician. By the finish of an evening, they say, 'Why didn't I know about this place?'"
There are Charlestonians who know about Garth Newel and who have served as patrons and board members for the organization. Letourneau and Batley hope more will make the three-hour drive to visit the music center on Warm Springs Mountain.
"Charleston has a strong symphony following. Garth Newel complements that," added Batley.
Batley is interim executive director of Garth Newel, which he said is unique in its support of a resident, year-round quartet of world-class talent.
The quartet consists of piano, violin, cello and viola. It gives more than 50 concerts a year, both at the music center and on tour.
At home, their venue is a converted indoor riding arena. Christine Herter Kendall and her painter husband trained and rode Arabian horses there. When they moved to Bath County in the early 1920s they named the property "Garth Newel," which is Welsh for "new home."
In 1973, Christine Kendall, now a widow, met Luca and Arlene Di Cecco, members of the Rowe Quartet. She persuaded them to start a chamber music program for their students at Garth Newel, and the Rowe Quartet began giving a series of summer concerts.
According to the center's website, Kendall began repairing long-abandoned buildings and had the riding ring converted to a concert hall.
When she died, she left the property to the Garth Newel Music Center Foundation.
HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- Jamie Letourneau said the most common reaction of newcomers to Garth Newel Music Center is "Why haven't I heard of this place before?"
She and Jay Batley were in Charleston this past week to spread the word about the Bath County, Va., music center and its 10-week summer season, which opened this weekend.
Here's how Letourneau, administrative assistant for the center, described a Garth Newel experience:
"You come up the fourth-mile-long drive, and there's 119 acres of gorgeous views through the gaps of the mountain, and you hear an amazing concert while having a glass of wine. The quartet is informal and always shares something of interest about the piece they'll be playing.
"Most of the those who stay for dinner are at tables for eight and often sit with a musician. By the finish of an evening, they say, 'Why didn't I know about this place?'"
There are Charlestonians who know about Garth Newel and who have served as patrons and board members for the organization. Letourneau and Batley hope more will make the three-hour drive to visit the music center on Warm Springs Mountain.
"Charleston has a strong symphony following. Garth Newel complements that," added Batley.
Batley is interim executive director of Garth Newel, which he said is unique in its support of a resident, year-round quartet of world-class talent.
The quartet consists of piano, violin, cello and viola. It gives more than 50 concerts a year, both at the music center and on tour.
At home, their venue is a converted indoor riding arena. Christine Herter Kendall and her painter husband trained and rode Arabian horses there. When they moved to Bath County in the early 1920s they named the property "Garth Newel," which is Welsh for "new home."
In 1973, Christine Kendall, now a widow, met Luca and Arlene Di Cecco, members of the Rowe Quartet. She persuaded them to start a chamber music program for their students at Garth Newel, and the Rowe Quartet began giving a series of summer concerts.
According to the center's website, Kendall began repairing long-abandoned buildings and had the riding ring converted to a concert hall.
When she died, she left the property to the Garth Newel Music Center Foundation.
The manor house on the mountain property has been converted into a bed and breakfast. Concertgoers may elect to stay there. The nearby Homestead resort provides shuttle service to the music center for concerts.
Garth Newel also has its own resident culinary chef. Dinners are optional after Saturday concerts.
For the summer season, Letourneau said, concerts are held at 5 p.m. on Saturday and last for about two hours. Afterward, the arena is converted into a dining room for a four-course dinner with wine.
Concert tickets are $22 for adults; concert and dinner are $75 per person. A room in the manor is $110 per night.
On Sundays, the concert begins at 3 p.m. with lemonade and cookies served at the conclusion. On three occasions this summer, picnics follow the Sunday performances: July 4, Aug. 8 and Sept. 5. There are different programs on Saturdays and Sundays. Special guests often perform, such as violinist Mark O'Connor, who is appearing July 4 in an Independence Day Celebration.
After the summer season, there is a break before the three-weekend Fall Foliage holidays at Garth Newel with Friday and Saturday concerts and optional dinners, beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 8.
The 2010 season also features concerts and dinners and brunch over Thanksgiving weekend, and ending with a New Year's Eve concert, dinner and dance, followed by a New Year's Day noon concert and brunch.
Detailed information on concert programs can at found at www.garthnewel.org.
Garth Newel is off U.S. 220, halfway between Hot Springs and Warm Springs.
The Homestead resort is in Hot Springs. The Jefferson Pools, the octagonal wooden building built in 1761, is in Warm Springs.
In the center of Warm Springs is the Gristmill Square with an inn, restaurant and shops. Shopping is also an attraction along the main street of Hot Springs.
Bath County, a tourism brochure proclaims, is a major outdoor recreation and resort destination: "Rich with lush forests, rushing rivers and beautiful mountain scenery, it's home to fabulous inns, hotels and restaurants, but not a single traffic light."
For more information, contact the Bath County Chamber of Commerce at 800-628-8092 or www.DiscoverBath.com.
Reach Rosalie Earle at ea...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5115.
