A new concert series near Fair Grove is combining world-class classical music with farm-grown food, sustainable living and the intimacy of a house concert.
Farmata was created by cellist Steuart Pincombe and his wife, Michelle, on the rural property where they have spent the past seven years developing a homestead. The couple raises hogs, goats, ducks, geese and bees, along with elderberries, fruit trees and other crops.
At the center of the project is a rebuilt barn that now hosts concerts for about 20 to 25 people.
“It’s basically an invitation into our lives,” Steuart Pincombe said. “Our aim is to pull people into natural beauty, both in what I do in music and what my colleagues do, and in how we try to cultivate the land.”
The Pincombe's previously lived in The Hague in the Netherlands, where Steuart performed and taught music. After returning to the United States, they began looking for a place where they could afford land, grow food, raise animals and live closer to family.
They eventually settled near Fair Grove, where Steuart's parents live.
The concert series developed gradually as Steuart renovated the barn, initially intending to use part of it as a teaching studio. As the space took shape, the couple began imagining small concerts inspired by intimate performances they had experienced in Europe.
“We really want to be investing in the place where we live,” Michelle Pincombe said. “We moved here to try to set down roots, contribute to where we are living and celebrate what is unique about rural Missouri.”
Food is included with each concert and often highlights ingredients raised on the farm or produced by neighboring farms. For the upcoming performances, Michelle plans to serve homemade Sicilian-style gelato flavored with elderberry, blackberry and pear, along with locally grown watermelon.
Farmata’s next concerts will feature Steuart Pincombe on cello and Oregon musician Jonny Rodgers performing on tuned wine glasses.
Rodgers adjusts the water level in each glass to change its pitch. The duo’s program will combine guided improvisation, microtonal music and arrangements of works by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, including "Spiegel im Spiegel" and "Fratres."
Microtonal music uses pitches that fall between the notes commonly heard in Western music. Steuart said the duo is approaching the technique gently, creating music intended to soothe rather than unsettle listeners.
Audience members will also be invited to participate in one piece using pre-tuned wine glasses while Steuart improvises around the chords they create.
The performances will begin at 7 p.m. Aug. 7 and 4 p.m. Aug. 8. Both concerts will feature the same general program, although the improvisational elements will make each performance different.
Tickets and additional information are available through Farmata’s website at www.farmata.org.
