Emerson Avenue Salons is a 501(c)(3)! More Information Here

DONATE ! Watch Salonline 7:30 Join Zoom Discussion ~8:30 PM Previous Salonlines

If you’re looking for Ali and the Wild Geese,
please click “Previous Salons”, above

Sunday, August 16 2026, 7:30 PM

Dancing Heart Ensemble

Karen Johnson – flute
Bryan Bourne – trombone
Mariko Hiller – piano

“Music of the People”
Folk inspired music from around the world

This unique quartet will captivate you with original programs and arrangements for this non-traditional ensemble.
The theme for this concert, “Music of the People” features folk-inspired music from around the world. The program includes Bartók’s peasant songs, Balinese Gamelan inspired music, a Piazolla tango, arrangements of Japanese folk songs, African American spirituals, American folk music, and more!
Join us for an enchanting journey around the world through music!

Program

Japanese folk songs  

Aka Tombo (Red Dragonfly) / Kosaku Yamada (1886-1965), arranged by Osamu Machida

Yoimachigusa (Evening primrose) / Tadasuke Ohno (1895-1929), adapted by Japonske Trio

Yagi bushi (Yagi dance) /Traditional, adapted by Japonske Trio

East European folk music

Suite Paysanne hongroise / Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

Chants populaires tristes 1-4

Vielles danses 1

African American Spirituals 

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child /Spiritual, arranged by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 – 1912) 

Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho /Spiritual, arranged by Mariko Hiller

Indonesia 

Bali Moods 1 / Anne Boyd (b. 1947)

Tangos 

Pou Una Cabeza / Carlos Gardel (1890 – 1935)

Milonga del Angel / Astor Piazzolla (1921- 1992)

Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) / arranged by Mariko Hiller 

Americana Medley

Simple Gifts (Shaker Song) /Aaron Copland (1900 -1990)

Yankee Doodle /traditional

Yankee Doodle Dandy/ George M Cohan (1878 – 1942)

Stars & Stripes Forever/ John Philip Sousa (1854 – 1932)

America the Beautiful / Samuel A. Ward (1848 – 1903)

America the Beautiful (Text for sing-along)

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Program Notes

Aka Tonbo (Red Dragonfly)

The poem was written by Rofu Miko in 1921, remembering his hometown and childhood while looking at Red Dragonfly. Japan’s prominent composer, Kosaku Yamada, composed the tune for the poem in 1927. The song became one of the most beloved classic Japanese folk songs.

Yoimachigusa (Evening-primrose)

Yoimachigusa was composed by Tadasuke Ono in 1917 based on a poem written in 1911 by Yumeji Takehisa.  The poem is about Tadasuke’s lost love. He referred to his feeling of despair to Evening-primrose which blooms only in the evening.

Yagi-bushi (Yagi dance)

“Yagi-bushi” is beloved traditional upbeat Japanese folk-dance tune. It originated in Gumma and Tochigi prefectures.  Traditionally it is played with drums, flute, and voice. People dance without plops or with plops such as towels, fans, umbrellas, flowers,

Suite Paysanne hongroise 

The suite consists of folk song arrangements originally written for piano and was transcribed for flute and piano by Paul Arma; later he also arranged it for flute and orchestra. It is based on folk songs that Bartók collected in Eastern Europe.

Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child”

“Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child” is a traditional African American spiritual which dates to the era of slavery in the United States. British composer and conductor, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, composed this arrangement for violin, cello, and piano.

Joshua fit de Battle of Jericho

This hymn is a beloved African American spiritual. The lyrics allude to the biblical story of the Battle of Jericho, in which Joshua led the Israelites against Canaan. The lively melody and rhythm provided energy and inspiration.

Bali Moods

“Bali Moods No, 1” was composed by Anne Boyd, Australian composer, and emeritus professor of music at the University of Sydney. Many of her works are of a spiritual or meditative nature with East Asian influence. This piece is based on traditional Balinese gamelan music and is written throughout in an equally tempered version of the pelog scale, one of the two predominant scale systems associated with Indonesian music.

“Bali Moods No.2” was not published. The piece describes the peaceful nature in Indonesia with interruption by the Volcanic eruption.

Pou Una Cabeza 

“Por una cabeza” is a tango song composed by Carlos Gardel with lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera for the film Tango Bar (1935).

Carlos Gardel was French-born Argentine singer, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango.

Milonga del Angel 

Ástor Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. “Milonga del Angel” is the second part of the Angel Series, a composition from 1965.

Londonderry Air 

“Londonderry Air” (Danny Boy) is a traditional Irish folk melody originating from County Londonderry, first published in 1855 after being collected by Jane Ross.
Mariko’s note:
I originally made the arrangement as an offertory piece for piano around St. Patrick’s Day in 2021. I was influenced by the beautiful harmonization by jazz pianists, Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett. I added swing feel in the middle to uplift the spirit and ended with classical rendition.

Americana Medley

Dancing Heart Ensemble has gathered ideas into creating this Medley as a closer of the program. Simple Gifts is transcription from Copland’s song collection, Old American Songs. Rest of the songs, Yankee Doodle, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Stars & Stripes Forever, and America the Beautiful, come from various sources. When we planned the program last summer, we were not thinking about America’s 250^th birthday. We are happy that we can celebrate the big birthday with these selections.

About the Artists

About the Dancing Heart Ensemble

In 2010 Karen Johnson founded Dancing Heart, a music ensemble dedicated to presenting unique, engaging, and transformative programs. To that end we offer classical, commissioned, even popular works to uplift and enrich our audiences and ourselves!  In 2017 she invited Bryan Bourne, trombone, and Mariko Hiller, piano to join in her musical adventures. Karen, Bryan, and Mariko have played throughout the Washington area (Falls Church, Silver Spring, Annapolis, Purcellville) as well as other areas like Rehoboth beach and Milford Delaware. Let us know if you’d like to be on a mailing list to hear about other Dancing Heart programs. Simply write to Karen at karenflute@comcast.net. Peace and Light to all. 

Karen Johnson, principal flutist of the Chesapeake Orchestra combines instrumental mastery, great beauty of sound, and a poetic sensibility in her distinctive and memorable performances. Her diverse musical repertoire ranges from the sacred to the popular, and her many collaborations include appearances with pop star Stevie Wonder, the Takacs String Quartet, and the Bach Aria Group. On the festival circuit she has performed at the Alba (Italy) International Music Festival, the Bethlehem Bach Festival, the Shelter Island Music Festival, and the Glimmerglass Chamber Music Festival. Her recent recital venues include the Kennedy Center, the Southern Maryland River Concert Series, the Washington National Cathedral, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Ms. Johnson continues to explore new vistas with the commission and premiering of new works by distinguished composers.  Composer Garth Baxter’s recent album, “Ask of me what the birds sang” in which her recently commissioned work “The Darkness between us” is included, is nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for the 2024 Grammy Award.

She was on the faculties of both the Levine School of Music, St. Mary’s College in Maryland, and Hood College in Frederick. Currently she resides in Lancaster, PA.  Ms. Johnson is also a dedicated student of yoga and meditation. Her course, ‘Performing with Heart” invites musicians to explore and enhance their performing experiences through visualization, relaxation, and imagery.

Bryan Bourne was Principal trombonist of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band and retired after nearly 30 years of service. In that capacity he performed in the Marine Concert Band, solo trombone with the White House Orchestra, and many Chamber Music Concerts. Bryan also performed in many of the PBS “Music at the White House” specials. Bryan is principal trombone with the Washington Concert Opera, the Chesapeake Orchestra, and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and was principal trombone with the RAI Orchestra in Turin, Italy in 1981. He was the second trombonist with the Baltimore Opera Orchestra for 20 years.

As an enthusiastic educator, Bryan performed as part of the “Music in the Schools” program while he was in the Marine Band. While “on tour” during the Marine Band’s annual 50-day concert tour, Bryan taught master classes throughout the country. He has taught low brass (trombone, euphonium, and tuba) at St. Mary’s College of Maryland since 1990. At St Mary’s College he also conducts the Brass Choir, Trombone Choir, and coaches brass chamber groups.

He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University having studied with Lewis Van Haney and Keith Brown.  He also holds a Master of Music degree at Catholic University, where he studied with Milton Stevens and David Fedderly.

In addition to his orchestral experience, Bryan continues to perform regularly with The Washington Symphonic Brass, of which he was a founding member.

Bryan moved to Front Royal, Virginia with his wife Sandy recently.  Her continuous support, as well as that of his adult children, Daniel, Sean, and Rebecca, has been inspirational.

Mariko Hiller is native of Japan, began studying piano at the age of five.  Immigrating to the U.S., she continued her classical piano study with distinguished pianists, including Nicholas Zumbro (University of Arizona) and Peter Takács (Oberlin Conservatory of Music). She has been Music Director at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Falls Church, VA since 1998 and founded the Odeon Chamber Music Series in 2000.  She also studied jazz piano with Wade Beach (former member of the Airmen of Note, jazz ensemble of the U.S. Airforce) for many years. Currently she leads jazz combos performing jazz standards, Great American Songbook, and New Orleans traditional jazz for senior living, Elks lodge, International Club of DC, and private parties. She also creates scores for jazz service and leads the band. Mariko is also passionate about writing hymns and song arrangements using both classical and jazz renditions. She taught general music for 22 years in the Fairfax County Public Schools and retired 4 years ago. She enjoys performing both classical and jazz and sharing her love for music with everyone. In addition to music, Mariko enjoys swing dancing with her husband, playing tennis and skiing.

---

If you’d like to receive Emerson Avenue Salon invitations, you can add yourself to the invitation list HERE.

---