Additional Artists:

Celebrating 20 years!

A Doctor of Metaphysics, an avid racquetball player, a nationally recognized quilt artist  and a stained glass artist. The individuals in this unique group are all expert  musicians, as well, and perform together as The Castle and Cross Consort.

”We got  together in 1988 for a one-time performance, or so we thought.  Our founder, Elizabeth Nichols, one of the original eight founders of the  "American Orff-Schulwerk Association" which promotes the Orff school of music education., recruited us as the entertainment for a Renaissance  feast, and we're still playing together.”

The word "consort" describes a family of instruments, in this case, the Recorder family,  to which other instruments can be added, such as the shawm or hurdy-gurdy. "We  are Topeka's Early Music ensemble, but we play all kinds of styles from Medieval  to Modern." That is evidenced by their gigs: from masked balls to candlelight dinners to lake-shore concerts (in all kinds of weather). . . and even the Miss USA Pageant.

Meet The Castle and Cross Consort.

Steven Clark (far right)
(recorders, krumhorn, percussion and hurdy-gurdy): "They call me the resident 'Court Composer, 'but I spend most of my time in my basement studio creating stained glass works." During brief periods of respite, Steve goes to the piano and works on yet another piece for  the Consort.

Gitta  Gronewaller (2nd from left)
(recorders, krumhorn, bowed psaltry, and percussion): "I was  born in Germany and came from a musical family. My father played the  piano and cello." Gitta is an avid racquetball player who has degrees in pediatric nursing and modern languages, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate. "I  also enjoy literature (old and new), translations and teaching English as a  second language."

Jane Kerns  (2nd from right)
(recorders and krumhorn):  "I began as an organist, started  playing recorder in graduate school, and played with the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra in Palo Alto, California, before coming to Kansas." Jane is an Illustration Editor for the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas. She is also a national award-winning quilt artist.

James  Mosher  (far left)
(recorders, krumhorn, Renaissance harps, vocals and percussion): "I work full-time at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, but I am  also very busy in the music profession namely playing Oboe and English Horn with the Topeka Symphony and the Topeka Woodwind Quintet, as well as the Castle and Cross Consort."  In his "free time" Jim co-owns a mail-order and storefront business called The Enchanted Willow Alchemy Shoppe.  He has a Doctoral degree in Metaphysics.

Richard Mason (recorders, percussion) (1936-1999)
Dick was a jazz artist and music educator. It was not unusual for him to play Renaissance music in the afternoon and jazz at a club at night. Dick performed on many tracks on the Castle & Cross recording "The Stoney Path." The CD "Circle of Seasons" is dedicated to his memory.

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EarthStar Recordings
PO BOX 4462
Topeka, KS 66604-0462
1-800-473-0743

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