To celebrate the season, Willowood at Mustang Senior Living, offering assisted living and memory care, will be hosting a holiday “Parade of Trees” event.
Several local businesses and vendors have donated six to 14-foot Christmas trees decorated according to the theme: “Christmas Past, Present and Future.” From Wednesday, Dec. 1 through Tuesday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, the public is invited to tour the display and enter a raffle to win a tree from the display. In addition, each tree will be entered to win the award for “Favorite Design.” The winning business or vendor will receive a wine and cheese basket to share with their team.
This event is free, and guests will be asked to follow COVID-19 protection measures. While vaccinations are not mandatory to attend, they are encouraged. Upon entry, guests will be given a symptom questionnaire. Hand sanitizer will be available and face masks are required inside to protect our residents.
“We’re so grateful for the generosity of the area businesses and vendors that partnered with us for this event and donated the festive Christmas trees for our ‘Parade of Trees,’” said Executive Director Cathy Collins. “We can’t wait for guests to visit our community and see what’s sure to be a winter wonderland.” Willowood at Mustang Senior Living was designed to meet the growing need for senior housing and health care in Canadian and Oklahoma Counties and the surrounding area. Willowood at Mustang provides assisted living and memory care residences and offers services centered on quality care and life enrichment. The community is managed by WellAge, a respected senior care management company located in Lakewood, Colorado. For more information about Willowood at Mustang Senior Living, call 405-860-6326 or visit www.WillowoodatMustang.com.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Two of Oklahoma’s most esteemed combat Veterans spoke about their service at a reception on Marines Corp Day, the night before they were honored as Parade Marshalls at the Midwest City Veterans Day Parade.
They were hosted by civic leaders and volunteers in welcoming home Vietnam Veterans in an often-somber reception planned by Midwest City Mayor and U.S. Coast Guard Veteran Matt Dukes.
More than 100 Vietnam combat Veterans gathered at the Reed Center in Midwest City saw several somber military traditions presented.
The men heard speeches by U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Colonel Chuck DeBellevue, 76, America’s top air ace of the Vietnam War, and U.S. Army (Ret.) Major Ed Pulido, whose vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Baqubah, Iraq in 2004. The two combat Veterans emphasized the attending Veterans’ sacrifice and service was vital to keeping America free.
Four Carl Albert High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets presented the colors.
Two other cadets then performed the POW/MIA Missing Man Table & Honors Ceremony in a dignified and solemn manner. The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia first conceived the poignant observance. The emphasis given to the empty chair sitting at a POW/MIA table by the two cadets brought home to the audience the plight of prisoners of war and missing in action soldiers even today.
Dukes emphasized in his opening remarks he was humbled to offer a belated welcome home to Vietnam Veterans from Midwest City, the city where patriotism lives and the spirit flies high.
Area resident U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Col. Bruce Ewing was moved by the honor to attend the event. “For me this was the ‘Welcome Home’ that we always wanted but never, till lately, got,” Ewing said. “Midwest City got it right…and I feel the combat Veterans in attendance could feel proud of their service a bit more openly than in years past. In short, it was a joy to be there.”
Ewing served in country as a captain 1970-71, as part of the Air Force Advisory Group advising the Republic of Vietnam Air Force at Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon, present day Ho Chi Minh City. He was also TDY to Udorn Royal Thai AFB ,Thailand in 1971 when DeBellevue and Steve Richie got their fifth MiG kill making Ritchie the Air Force’s first Vietnam ace and moving Chuck on to his later status of leading ace in that war. He retired as a Colonel in 1990 after 27 years of service.
Local Veterans of Foreign War posts, American Legion and the South Vietnam Veterans Association were well represented at the more than 10 tables full of in country Vietnam Veterans.
DeBellevue, narrated his September 9,1972 mission two MiG kills. Those two kills added to his previous four air victories made him the top air ace of the Vietnam War in his F-4 Phantom II. He ended his detailed account of that mission by emphasizing how humble he was because so many fellow service members made every flight possible.
The Edmond resident expressed gratitude for those gathered with whom he shared the perils of war in Southeast Asia to ensure freedom for all Americans.
In honor of those U.S. Marines gathered, the 246th birthday of the Marine Corps ceremony was conducted that evening, also known as Marine Corps Day. Retired Marines Dave Willis and Donald Schmidt cut the symbolic birthday cake in traditional style with a ceremonial sword while Dukes narrated the history of the Corps and ceremony.
Pulido gave a more personal speech. The Edmond resident received the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart after his left leg was amputated. This ordeal is depicted in his book “Warrior for Freedom: Challenge, Triumph and Change, The Major Ed Pulido Story.”
Major Ed, as he is known for his nationwide impact on the Veteran services movement, spoke of his father’s cancer diagnosis in December. He expressed its connection to Agent Orange and how it has impacted his family.
His father, U.S. Army (Ret.) Chief Warrant Officer 4 Manuel J Pulido served in Vietnam and after as a Hughes helicopter crew chief as a Battalion Aviation Maintenance Officer. “My father is an immigrant from Colombia who took the sacred oath seriously to defend this great nation during and after the Vietnam war.” Major Ed said. “As a Vietnam-era Veteran who served with honor and distinction for more than 30 years, he taught us the importance of always making sure we understood the mistakes made in not properly honoring his comrades by an ungrateful nation will never again be made on our future war fighters. Because as he puts it, we will never leave anyone behind again on the field of battle and on the Homefront ever again. So, help him God.”
“On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your service,” Major Ed ended his speech. “Thank you for your sacrifice. We will never leave you behind on the field of battle and on the Homefront, so help us God.”

Now through Christmas night at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

Midwest City’s Holiday Lights Spectacular creates a free holiday drive-through wonderland of twinkling lights celebrating the magic of the season with more than 100 animated light displays.
“The City of Midwest City is excited to bring Holiday Lights Spectacular back for the 2021 holiday season,” said Josh Ryan, communications and marketing director. “The lights are an important holiday tradition for families in eastern Oklahoma County. Despite the many challenges we had in getting the show running this year, we knew it was a challenge we had to overcome.”
The lights at the popular destination giving visitors plenty of the Christmas spirit to enjoy shine brightly each night through Christmas night (Dec. 25). The holiday light’s shimmer will be viewable from the comfort of personal vehicles in a driving tour from 6-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 6-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 6-11 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Joe B. Barnes Regional Park comes alive with secular and religious displays featuring the vibrancy of a majestic 118-foot Christmas tree Illuminated with more than 9,000 LED lights and topped off with a dazzling 8-foot star.
Visitors can enjoy driving through more than one million sparkling lights, many of which are animated. This seasonal celebration of animation is the hallmark of the display’s dazzling winter wonderland claim to fame.
The lights of every color spectacular features the animated illumination celebration of a dancing forest light show performing to traditional holiday music. Visitors tune their vehicle radio to a specific frequency to hear the holiday music that accompanies the animation.
The one-of-a-kind Santa fly fishing in a 20-foot-tall waterfall with gliding fish and prancing animals is a unique feature of the loop through a quiet wooded area. Elves are seen baking their Christmas confections in the animated Candy Cane Company.
The Park is transformed into a lighted wonderland where visitors can see anything from the Nativity scene to Santa playing soccer. Visitors drive through the park and experience the displays while in the warmth of their car. The estimated drive time for completing the tour is 20-30 minutes.
This family tradition began in 1995 with just 44 displays and has grown to be what at one point was the largest animated lights display in a five-state region.
The Park, 10 minutes east of OKC at 8700 E. Reno Ave., is easily found from I-40. Head north on Douglas Blvd. to find the lit snowflakes heading west on SE 15th St. to the entrance south on Century Blvd between Midwest Blvd. and Douglas.
Admission is free, thanks to the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce and many merchants. The Holiday Lights Spectacular runs on sponsorships and donations. Donations are appreciated onsite or contact organizers.
With easy access from I-40 and just 10 minutes east of Oklahoma City, visitors and their family will want to make this an annual tradition for years to come.
For group arrangements for the light show, including guided group tours and itinerary planning and more general information call 405-739-1289 or visit Holiday Lights Spectacular | Midwest City Oklahoma. Organizers thank sponsors for their support that allows them to present this community service to the public.

Friends of the Capitol was honored to host their annual Statehood Day art contest with nine OKCPS 4th grade classes. Ridgeview, Adelaide Lee, Hawthorne, Coolidge, Shidler, Hillcrest, Britton, Cleveland, and Martin Luther King Elementary Schools all competed for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The theme was “My Oklahoma,” which all the students painted their interpretation of what Oklahoma meant to them. Their works of art was showcased at the Oklahoma State Capitol, on Statehood Day. All their families, friends, and teachers came out to support them and had some refreshments and celebrated Oklahoma’s Birthday!
There were protests going on at the Capitol that week and this brought some light to the Capitol and to Oklahoma. Seeing the 4th graders dressed up showing off their art to everyone was priceless!
“Friends of the Capitol” loves being a part of celebrating Statehood Day by bringing in kids and educating them about our Capitol and our great State. It is a great way to get Oklahomans involved”-Amy Dillon, Executive Director. Friends of the Capitol is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) corporation that is devoted to providing private funds to maintain and improve the beauty of the Oklahoma State Capitol building and complex and its works of art. It is the only tax-exempt corporation designated to receive private funds for this purpose. For More Information: Amy Dillon, 405-843-2443 or adillon@friendsofthecapitol.com or visit www.friendsofthecapitol.com.

by Greg Schwem

I know my memory is ebbing as I age. Why else would I run to the Apple Store at least twice a year to replace charging chords I was CERTAIN I had packed before leaving the hotel room or home share property where I spend so much of my time now that I’m traveling again?
But I refuse to blame the alarming disappearance of wardrobe items on my mental faculties. Especially when my daughters are convinced a haunted spirit, one that seems to grow more annoying each day, lives within my family’s confines.
As I write this, I am still searching for a sweatshirt, adorned with my youngest daughter’s college emblem, that I planned to wear on a recent campus visit. I ended up having to purchase one at the university bookstore. Is it me or do colleges double the prices on souvenirs when parents’ weekend rolls around?
My oldest daughter, living at home while she completes an online master’s degree, is convinced the ghost took it.
“What ghost?” I asked, while tearing apart my closet and finding, among other things, an insurance card from 1997 and a receipt from a local paint store.
“The one that randomly closes my door,” she said. “And turns on the ceiling fan light when I’m sleeping. That happened last week.”
She is also convinced the ghost is male, as evidenced by the low voice she claimed to have heard one night while watching television; a voice her sister also heard from the other room.
“He took your sweatshirt for sure,” she said.
I scoffed at her supernatural beliefs, certain the shirt would turn up eventually.
Until my shorts disappeared too.
I had returned from a workout and, a day later, realized they were missing. Normally I wouldn’t care; I do possess other exercise attire, unlike some of the guys at my gym. I don’t know the name of the dude who spends 30 minutes every morning on the elliptical machine, but I do know he is very fond of his 1985-86 Chicago Bears Super Bowl T-shirt. On the rare day he is absent, I assume he is doing laundry.
But then I remembered I had put my driver’s license in these shorts. Ever lose your driver’s license? It limits your ability to perform a myriad of functions, only one of which is driving.
I searched my closet. I emptied my laundry hamper. I did the same to a half-unpacked suitcase from a previous trip. I strained my back pulling the washer and dryer away from the wall, convinced the shorts had fallen behind one of them. I checked unlikely places, including under my bed, my office desk drawers and even our kitchen pantry. I know that’s weird, but I once shut the pantry door not realizing our dog was in there. Never a barker, she simply laid down and napped until dinner time.
Meanwhile, my daughter watched from the doorway.
“It’s the ghost,” she said.
“It’s not the ghost,” I yelled in frustration, gesturing with a hand dripping in last week’s garbage. The shorts weren’t in there either.
“I know I did not leave the gym without pants. Somebody would have noticed. Probably the police.”
That evening I announced I would be getting up early to obtain a new license at the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. If the shorts turned up, I gave my wife and daughter strict instructions not to move them.
“Do not disturb the crime scene,” I said.
The next morning the shorts were neatly folded on my bathroom vanity.
“They were in my suitcase,” my wife said. “Don’t ask me how they ended up there.”
But I know EXACTLY how they ended up there.
The male ghost is trying to drive me insane.
So he can move in on my wife.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com)

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

As covid just won’t go away, I find it comforting and safer to recall previous travels, that I hope you will find interesting, until safe travel becomes the norm.
Best known for its history as a steel town, Bethlehem Pennsylvania has a number of gifts for the traveler searching for authentic Americana. A few of the buildings on the vast expanse of the grounds of the Bethlehem Steel plant have been preserved as giant iconic sculptures of steel as a backdrop for a plaza and event space called SteelStacks. The space consists of several outlets for information and entertainment including, the ArtsQuest Center for films, shopping, snacks, the Air Products Town Square with its performance stage for free programming year round, the outdoor space of the PNC Plaza and the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks amphitheater for all types of music.
And while at SteelStacks it would be hard to miss the 40 foot tall glass sculpture in the spiral staircase produced by ArtsQuest’s Hot Glass Studio (The Banana Factory). The studio is open for public viewing as the craftspersons blow and manipulates hot glass into a variety of shapes. The process is hypnotic as the glass team aeems to do an impromptu dance as they assist the main glass blower. Samples of their work are on display and perhaps can be purchased. The free gift of observing the glass blowing experience is another valued gift of Bethlehem.
While in Bethlehem you must visit the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem; whether it’s for gaming, a gourmet meal with exceptional service at Emeril’s Chop house, or just marvel at the Steel plants transformation into a glamorous high end entertainment venue. My beverage and dining offerings were beyond my expectations. Additional food service is available at the Carnegie Deli, St James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery, The Market, Chopsticks or the Cobalt Buffet and Café. Of course the Sands offers an expansive hotel and even an upscale shopping mall with such stores as, Tommy Hilfiger, Izod, Ultra Diamonds, and Lenox to name a few.
For a more traditional dining experience, you can take in Fegley’s Brew Works located on Main Street where the beer makers craft is taken seriously. Not being a beer person I was pleased to learn of the different qualities and techniques that make up the brewers art from light ales to dark and tasty beers. Some beers are seasonal, as is their Pumpkin Ale, but others range from the award winning Fegley’s E.S.B., an amber light; to the dark Steelworkers Oatmeal Stout, which is a reply to Guinness and is described as “a meal in a glass.” In addition to their unique beers they offer a nice selection of wines from California, Argentina and Germany.
For a quiet and laid back evening, the Edge Restaurant fills the bill, with subdued lighting and white table cloth elegance. You are taken back to a fine dining experience unexpected in this rural Pennsylvania setting. My Sautéed Scottish Salmon with Fig Balsamic was surpassed by their special side dish of potatoes au gratin; a seemingly simple dish but which always gets rave reviews.
Of course the real charm of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is staying in downtown proper with its historic buildings dating back to 1700s and perusing the shops including the extensive Moravian book store with seems to go on forever. Being founded in 1745 it claims to be the World’s Oldest Book Store. I wonder what London would have to say about that. The Bethlehem hotel is a member of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America, but modern in comfort and amenities, in an upscale 1920’s atmosphere.
The hotel’s bar, the Tap Room, adjacent to the main lobby, proudly boasts photographs of the hotels past guests including, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Johnny Bench and Presidents Eisenhower, Clinton, Kennedy and Ford. For a step back in time a visit to the 1758 Moravian Sun Inn can be toured, or you may reserve your space on an adventure in the afterlife with their paranormal experiences.
Before there was steel, the towns religious founders pondered over a name for their new town, and feeling inspired, named it Bethlehem. Today it is known as the Christmas City complete with a shining star in the hills. The gifts of Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley can be enjoyed year round for a quaint historic American experience with a dash of dining, education and entertainment.
www.historicbethlehem.org
www.artsquest.org
www.suninnbethlehem.org
http://www.statetheatre.org
http://www.martinguitar.com

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=terry+zinn
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=zinn
http://new.okveterannews.com/?s=TERRY+ZINN
www.martinitravels.com

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you recommend some good resources that can help my wife and me determine the best claiming ages for maximizing our Social Security retirement benefits? Just Turned 62

Dear 62,
Deciding when to start collecting your Social Security benefits is one of the most complicated and consequential decisions in retirement. The difference between a good decision and a poor one could cost you and your wife tens of thousands of dollars over your retirement, so doing your due diligence now is a very smart move.
Factors to Consider
As you may already know, you can claim Social Security any time between the ages of 62 and 70, but each year you wait increases your benefits between 5 and 8 percent. However, there are other factors you need to take into account to help you make a good decision, like your health and family longevity, whether you plan to work in retirement, along with spousal and survivor benefits.
To help you weigh your claiming strategies, you need to know that Social Security Administration claims specialists are not trained or authorized to give you personal advice on when you should start drawing your benefits. They can only provide you information on how the system works under different circumstances. To get advice you’ll need to turn to other sources.
Online Tools
Your first step in getting Social Security claiming strategy advice is to go to SSA.gov/myaccount to get your personalized statement that estimates what your retirement benefits will be at ages 62 through 70. These estimates are based on your yearly earnings that are also listed on your report.
Once you get your estimates for both you and your wife, there are a number of online Social Security strategy calculators you can turn to that can compare your options so you can make an informed decision.
The best one that’s completely free to use is Open Social Security (OpenSocialSecurity.com), which runs the math for each possible claiming age (or, if you’re married, each possible combination of claiming ages) and reports back, telling you which strategy is expected to provide the most total spendable dollars over your lifetime.
But if you want a more thorough analysis consider fee-based calculators like Maximize My Social Security (MaximizeMySocialSecurity.com) or Social Security Solutions (SocialSecuritySolutions.com). Both of these tools, which are particularly helpful to married couples as well as divorced or widowed persons, will run what-if scenarios based on your circumstances and show how different filing strategies affect the total payout over the same time frame.
Maximize My Social Security’s web-based service costs $40 per year for a household, while Social Security Solutions offers several levels of web-based and personalized phone advice ranging from $20 to $250.
In-Person Advice
You may also be able to get help through a financial planner. Look for someone who is a fee-only certified financial planner (CFP) that charges on an hourly basis and has experience in Social Security analysis.
To find someone, use the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors online directory at NAPFA.org, or try the Garrett Planning Network (GarrettPlanningNetwork.com), which is a network of fee-only advisers that charge between $150 and $300 per hour.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

An Oklahoma Man Shares His Heart Transplant Journey

With a renewed lease on life, this Thanksgiving will be extra special to Jack Chappell, 57. After showing signs of heart failure nearly a decade ago, this father of two began the fight of his life.
In 2012, Chappell fell ill with persistent symptoms. “I felt like I had a cold I couldn’t get rid of,” he says. “I coughed a lot. I couldn’t get rid of it. I just felt lousy. I also felt like I was putting on weight.” In 2013, after a business trip and at the urging of his wife, he was diagnosed with heart failure due to a severely weakened heart muscle by his primary care physician and was connected to cardiologists at INTEGRIS Health.
2015 was a difficult year for the Chappell family, and Jack especially, as his father tragically succumbed to terminal heart failure at the age of 82. Within a short time after his father’s passing, Jack’s heart failure also worsened to the point where his life was in imminent danger. He was admitted to INTEGRIS Health under the care of Douglas Horstmanshof, M.D., co-director of INTEGRIS Advanced Cardiac Care (IACC), and underwent placement of a life-saving HeartMate 2 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). Chappell recovered quickly and was able to leave the hospital just over two weeks after LVAD surgery. He rapidly returned to work and an active life, supported by his LVAD. After the need for a LVAD replacement in 2019, the IACC team recommended pursuing a heart transplant, and in 2020, Chappell was placed on the transplant list to begin the search for a new heart.
“Jack is an individual who exemplified the value of being at the only hospital in Oklahoma that has access to all options to treat his worsening heart failure – in this case a LVAD that allowed him to work, care for his family and live successfully for years with a good quality of life,” states Horstmanshof.
Jack’s journey to a new heart was prolonged after contracting COVID-19 in November 2020. Despite a successful recovery from COVID under the care of the IACC team, his health declined again in early 2021, and he was admitted to the hospital for ongoing care while awaiting his new heart. He would spend four long months in the hospital waiting for his heart transplant. “That’s a long time to be in the hospital for sure,” he admits. “But I got used to the routine of being there. I’d wake up, eat breakfast, do my labs, and work remotely from my hospital bed. I was able to stay busy.”
In July 2021 he received the life changing news that he was getting a new heart. Chappell says he was in shock and then broke down in tears. “I honestly don’t remember going to surgery. I just remember waking up in the ICU with a brand new heart and a second chance at life.”
“After getting his new heart, every member of the INTEGRIS Health staff that was involved in his care celebrated with Jack and his immediate family,” Horstmanshof remembers. “Our whole team remains so proud of him for his dedication and grace throughout his journey and looks forward to many more years of knowing and caring for him as his INTEGRIS Health Family!”
Chappell recently joined other LVAD patients and completed the 5K in the Oklahoma City Marathon. He routinely stays in touch with the LVAD team and speaks to other heart transplant and LVAD patients as an advocate for the program.
A group of people posing for a photo Description automatically generatedJack enjoyed a fulfilling and active life with his LVAD, but is looking forward to rediscovering swimming or being in water without concern for his device. Now, after his transplant, he is getting back to traveling, going to football games, all while knowing he has more time to spend with his family. However, there will always be a special place in his new heart for the hospital he called ‘home’ for so long.
“We’ve got the best heart team right here in Oklahoma City. I don’t know why anyone would go anywhere else.”

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but that’s exactly what employees from St. Ann’s Skilled Nursing and Therapy handed out Wednesday afternoon.
Bags filled with sandwiches and chips were put together to help the homeless in Oklahoma City.
“Our staff has really bought into this once-a-month event where we get to come out, we get to serve others,” said Mary Peacock-Smith, St. Ann’s administrator.
Each month, for the last few months, a group of employees from St. Ann’s have assembled meals and then taken them downtown. They set up just north of the Embark bus station in Oklahoma City and hand out the lunches to anyone who asks for one.
On this month’s visit, they brought 350 sandwiches, lunch sacks and bottles of water out to fill a void for some of those in need, but there is a greater purpose behind the lunch sacks both for staff members at St. Ann’s and for the homeless.
“Being in lockdown and going through that traumatic event together, we needed something to bring us together and bring us a sense of community,” said Peacock-Smith. “I think by serving others we really help ourselves in a positive way.” The lunch giveaway event is part of a partnership St Ann’s has forged with the local non-profit Oklahoma Citizen Advocates for Recovery and Transformation Association (OCARTA).
“They decided hey we want to help and so they’ve been doing the food and the water and helping support our mission, and we certainly support theirs,” said Donna Woods with OCARTA.
OCARTA offers free services to those in need of recovery or mental health services. This monthly lunch event helps bring awareness to the homeless community about the services that are available. And it is making a difference.

Strings take center stage in Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble’s third concert, “Symphonic Strings,” 7:30 pm on January 11 at First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. The concert will present Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello, which marked a turning point in his career, Gerald Finzi’s powerfully expressive Interlude for Oboe and String Quartet and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s only sextet, his “Souvenir de Florence,” which has been described as a symphony for six strings.
The concert takes place at the First Baptist Church, 1201 N. Robinson Ave., Oklahoma City. Season passes, available on the website, are $125 for the five regular-season concerts and all concerts of the summer festival. Single admission tickets are $20 at the door. Admission is free for students and active-duty military with ID.
Maurice Ravel composed his four-movement Sonata for Violin and Cello between 1920 and 1922 and dedicated it to the memory of Claude Debussy, who had died in 1918. Described as “lean” and “linear,” the sonata stood in sharp contrast to the lush harmonies and textures of his earlier works and was, Ravel wrote, “stripped to the bone; harmonic charm is renounced, and there is an increasing return of emphasis on melody.” The sonata would, as the composer predicted, mark a turning point: after Debussy’s death, Ravel was widely considered the leading French composer of the era.
British composer Gerald Finzi’s personal and introspective Interlude for Oboe and String Quartet was written between 1932 and 1936 and, along with his clarinet concerto, is one of his best-known instrumental compositions. The one-movement work was subsequently arranged for oboe and string orchestra and for oboe and piano. Despite its brevity, the Interlude is a big, passionate piece with wide-ranging moods and may have originally been intended as part of a concerto.
Tchaikovsky’s four-movement sextet, “Souvenir de Florence,” is a romantic symphony in microcosm. The work is so titled because one of the principal themes was sketched while the Russian composer was visiting Florence, Italy, but it is distinctly Russian. The composer wrote to a friend, “I am, in essence, composing for the orchestra, and only then arranging it for six string instruments,” a task he described as “unimaginably difficult.” The result is a small-ensemble work with the grandeur of a symphony and the grace of his ever-popular “Serenade for Strings.”
The Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble is Oklahoma City’s foremost presenter of classical chamber music. For more information, visit us at www.brightmusic.org and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrightmusicOK.