By Daniel Buckwalter

There are two things I’ve come to expect and appreciate in regards to a microphilharmonic concert: Horrible weather every time for my short but freezing walk to The Shedd, and quality chamber music to warm up to once inside the Jaqua Concert Hall.

Both boxes got checked on Sunday, Nov. 6, but I will choose to focus on the 12-member roster that makes up microphilharmonic, which repeats its performance Monday.

The late Sunday afternoon concert is all about the Czech composers Tomáš Svoboda, Leoš Janáček and Antonín Dvořák.

It is done by a chamber ensemble, led by founder and outstanding clarinetist Michael Anderson, with professionalism and technical savvy, yes, but with unvarnished grace, too.
I appreciate that.

I try to make it to microphilharmonic’s late Sunday afternoon performances and use those performances to help bring chaotic weekends to a close, before the chaos resumes Monday. This particular Sunday was no different, and it was successful all around for the smallish but deeply supportive audience.

The beauty of microphilharmonic — besides the fact that you can set your clock to the fact that the concerts are never more than 90 minutes long — is that it dispenses with the pomp that many other groups will partake in.

There were no adornments on the hall’s stage. There wasn’t even a microphone for anyone to speak into between the pieces of music.

At first, three or four years ago, I passed it off as an intellectual exercise, but that is wrong. There was too much passion by the 12 members in this concert for the multi-movement works of the three Czech composers for this to be an intellectual exercise.

The 12-member roster, interchangeable in each of the three pieces, simply made each composer’s work sing in a quiet, dignified way.

Indeed, it is that quiet, dignified approach to quiet and intricate music that seems to quiet the soul.

It’s music straight, with no chaser, and why I listen to classical music to start with.

Again, I appreciate that, and if you have time on Monday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 pm, I would encourage you to make the trip to The Shedd to hear beautiful, soft music of three great Czech composers.

Just don’t blame microphilharmonic for the weather.