Call it an evening of great music.
Call it an opportunity to help a worthy cause.
Either way, you're in for a treat when internationally recognized musician Brian Crain performs a benefit concert for the Children's Village, a Coeur d'Alene center for abused, neglected and homeless children.
"Simple, sweet, serene and yet seductive, the music of Brian Crain is the perfect synonym for the word 'romance,'" wrote a reviewer for Wind and Wire, a web site about instrumental music.
Crain will be joined at the October 17 concert by cellist, frequent collaborator and fellow Coeur d'Alene resident David Hunt. Also performing will be neoclassical pianist David Nevue, whose musical style is sometimes compared to George Winston.
A self-taught pianist and composer, Crain has built an international following, first through his CDs and later through live concerts. Fans line up when he performs in Asia and Europe.
"When I started doing concerts, I told myself that in my hometown I would do my concerts for good causes," not for profit, Crain said.
This will be his sixth annual benefit concert for the Children's Village, an effort that he estimates has raised about $30,000. That money helps care for children who live in the two homes operated by the nonprofit organization, with combined capacity of 22 children.
One of those homes serves children with serious emotional and behavioral disorders, and includes an accredited school. The other serves children who are abused, neglected, homeless, or come from families facing crisis.
"We're dreaming of building another home because the need is so great," said Tinka Schaffer, Children's Village development director. But at the moment, right now, because of the recession, "it's a tough time for non-profits," Schaffer said. "So this event is especially important in helping meet needs" in the current houses.
Crain said the concert's location, at Lake City Community Church, was selected both to keep overhead costs low and because it's "acoustically excellent, especially for the piano and cello."
To hear Brian Crain's music, listen to the audio clips below:
