Too Much Fun in the Pines event Saturday

Christian Chalifour is bringing Too Much Fun in the Pines, a concert to benefit Spirit Mountain Retreat, to the retreat at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, in the retreat’s garden at 25661 Oakwood Street. It will run just under two hours with a short intermission for purchasing snacks.

The concert features John Walz, Los Angeles Opera principal violoncello; Les Woodson, bassist, who looks like John Williams; Lawrence Spector, classical guitarist; Chalifour on harp; and Dottie Goldfarb, concertmaster. Chalifour also will direct the debut performance of the Idyllwild Chamber Orchestra.

Music will be light classical and pops. Tickets are $10 per adult and $5 per child under age 12. Call the retreat at 951-659-2523 for tickets and reservations.

Chalifour said the concert will be diverse “with a little something for everyone. We’ll be playing mostly popular music with standards, jazz, Latin, film music, light classical and a couple of mystery tunes with prizes for whoever can guess them first.”

Chalifour will open with a couple of harp solos; Walz will be featured in “The Swan” from “Carnival of the Animals”; and Goldfarb will play John Williams’ poignant “Theme from Schindler’s List.” “A few light jazz standards will follow with harp, bass and drums,” said Chalifour.

Chalifour said he will then “introduce the members of the newly-formed Idyllwild Chamber Orchestra, and the program will continue, with … Spector playing the lively first movement from Vivaldi’s ‘Guitar Concerto,’ and ‘Cavatina,’ best known for its use in ‘The Deerhunter.’”

“Over The Rainbow” and Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” will be included.

Astor Piazolla’s “Libertango” will represent the Latin spirit. Chalifour said Piazolla is credited with reinventing the tango in 1974. “Por Una Cabeza,” the most familiar and popular of the more than 600 tangos written by Argentina’s Carlos Gardel, will be featured. The tango is part of the “Scent Of A Woman” soundtrack.

Robert Maxwell’s “Ebb Tide” is Chalifour’s signature finale that he arranged for solo harp and orchestra for this concert.

The audience then will be invited to “whistle along for the ‘Colonel Bogey March,’ familiar to film buffs from ‘The Bridge On The River Kwai.’” Chalifour said.