Chamber Players of the Redwoods Host Free Concert Feb. 1 in Arcata

The Chamber Players of the Redwoods will present the second concert of their season Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of Arcata. Admission is free and donations will be accepted, underscoring the series’ community-oriented mission to broaden access to live music across Humboldt County.

The early-February program spans winds, brass and jazz. Ten-member wind ensemble Humboldt Harmoniemusik will perform Joachim Raff’s "Sinfonietta." French horn quintet Cornocopia will play a transcription of Mozart’s Quintet for Horn and Strings. North Coast Brass will present a quintet by Michael Kibbe, and the jazz trio Jazz Beyond Recall will perform works by John Lewis and Herbie Nichols. Taken together, those ensembles amount to at least 23 musicians on the bill, offering a sizeable local showcase for small-ensemble repertoire.

The Lutheran Church of Arcata will host the concert at 2:00 p.m., providing an accessible, central venue for Arcata residents and visitors from surrounding communities. Free admission removes price barriers that can limit attendance, while the donations-accepted model keeps the performance open to all and allows audience members who can contribute to support the musicians and future programming.

For local audiences, the mix of classical transcriptions, contemporary brass writing and modern jazz presents both a cultural breadth and a chance to hear rarely programmed chamber works outside larger metropolitan centers. Community concert series like this often serve as low-cost cultural anchors in regional arts ecosystems, sustaining performance opportunities for local players, creating pathways for music education partnerships, and generating modest weekend foot traffic that can benefit nearby businesses.

This concert is the second in the Chamber Players of the Redwoods’ season, signaling an ongoing commitment to free, community-focused presentations. The program’s crossover appeal may attract listeners who come for the brass or wind literature and stay for the jazz set, supporting broader audience-building for small ensembles on the North Coast.

Plan to arrive before 2:00 p.m. for seating, and consider bringing a donation if you can; the admission model is intended to keep concerts accessible while supporting participating musicians. As the series moves forward, these neighborhood-scale performances will continue to shape Arcata’s cultural calendar and provide regular opportunities for residents to hear live chamber music in the heart of Humboldt County.