This past October, members and instructors from area music school Music Compound presented a live musical tribute to one of the most revered albums of all time on the 50th anniversary of its release: Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon.” Funds raised during this concert were donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Sarasota and Manatee Counties, a nonprofit organization working in a field suggested by the history of the album.
The event was such a success – thanks in great part to the vision and hard work of instructors Iain Harris and Taylor Galford – that Music Compound decided to create the “Music Compound Album Ensemble” program, to stage similar performances of classic albums in their entirety on a regular basis, with each performance being tied to fundraising for a local charity.
On Saturday, March 2, the Music Compound Album Ensemble – composed of 14 students, ages 13 to 70, and five staff members – will perform the complete “Rumours” album by Fleetwood Mac, with concerts at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Proceeds from the concert will benefit SPARCC, a charity selected to reflect the troubled circumstances that famously surrounded the band during the recording of the album.
Recorded between February and August 1976, and released in February 1977, “Rumours” was the band’s first number-one album in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom. It featured four hit singles: “Dreams” (which sold more than one million copies and reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100), “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun.” Pre-orders for the album reached 800,000 copies, at the time the largest advance sale in Warner Brothers’ history.
Frequently appearing in lists of “the greatest albums ever made,” “Rumours” stayed at the top of the Billboard 200 for 31 non-consecutive weeks, while also reaching number one in the U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
“We were so thrilled after our first concert featuring ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ that we knew this was something we needed to continue to do. The effort aligns so perfectly with our commitment to fostering collaboration and providing intergenerational opportunities for our students,” said Music Compound owner/president Jenny Townsend. “To be able to present a musical showcase at a high level while raising funds for important organizations and causes makes the whole experience even more meaningful for all involved.”
The Album Ensemble is one of many programs Music Compound provides for adults and youth who wish to connect with like-minded individuals in a positive and fun learning environment.
Future Album Ensemble performances, featuring “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by the Beatles and Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged in New York,” are planned for later this year. By selecting music from different genres and generations, Music Compound hopes to inspire a greater level of musicianship for all participants.
The “Rumours” concerts take place at Music Compound SRQ (1751 Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota). The shows are free but registration is requested; visit musiccompound.com/rumours.
