First Night Success (New Year's Eve Celebration)
"These two seasoned citizens offer a hearty thanks to ... the city planners, the sponsors, volunteers and performers who offered this community it first First Night Event...The four hours we spent there turned out to be a completely enjoyable experience!...A short walk to the Pope Gallery took us to the excellent half-hour concert by the Antiquarian [Funks]. ...Thanks again and Bravo!"
    E. and P. Waring, Letters to the Editor, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 1/9/97

Antiquarians play that funky baroque music
"Funk music is not generally associated with the 17th century in early-music circles. But Santa Cruzans know better; we've got the Antiquarian Funks. When the Funks go for baroque, they don't just trot out the ol' hit parade, they get down!
    True to form, last weekend's performance of 'Baroque Roots' by the Funks at Trinity Presbyterian Church was packed with extraordinary finds. The evening's instrumentation was in itself good enough reason to get out of the house, and the current Funk personnel is top-notch..."
    Phillip Collins, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/11/88

"Funky Antiquity"
    Good Times, 1/14/88

Don't mess with Bill
"'Giovanni, Giovanni, Giovanni...' the program read...As in previous Funk-outs, the selected composers of yore had to meet the specific (and as usual, idiosyncratic) criterion of the evening's program. In this case the qualifying mark of distinction was that their first name be Giovanni....
    Musical standards were not comprimised by the abundance of unknown composers; in fact, some of the more obscure entries turned out to be the most rewarding. The 20th century premiere...of Giovanni Battista Fontana's 'Sonata Terza,' as performed by violinist [Leslie] Hirsch, was far and away the evening's highest pinnacle.... So glorious was the rendering that the audience would not cease applauding until the reluctant soloist returned for a bonus bow.
    ...the Antiquarian Funks continually intrique. Mathews' creative siphoning of the past is always in itself amusing and edifying, and the musical results are always worth hearing."
    Rick Chatenever, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/29/85

The Monkees of Medieval Music
    Santa Cruz Express, 7/12/84

Antiquarian Funks: So Good, So Rare
"Almost 400 years ago it was called 'Musicke...so good, so delectable, so rare, so admirable, so super-excellent, that it did even ravish and stupifie all those strangers that never heard the like.'
    The English writer of these words was speaking of the musical sounds he heard on a visit to the city of Venice in 1608.
    The music, he added 'was so good that I would willingly goe an hundred miles a foote at any time to hear the like.'
    Such dedication won't be necessary for local audiences tonight and Saturday, when the Antiquarian Funks...bring the music of Venice home."
    Rick Chatenever, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/6/81

"The Antiquarian Funks provide Santa Cruz listeners with an unbeatable elixir...a sense of play imbues their programs."
    Phil Collins, Santa Cruz Sentinel

"There's no one like this group anywhere in Santa Cruz, which IS saying something. Not to be missed."
    Santa Cruz Express

"Santa Cruz's celebrated Antiquarian Funks once again prove that 'bookish' and 'fun' make good chemistry."
    Scott MacClelland, KBOQ

500 Years of Chicken Music
Only Henny Youngman Was Missing
    The only thing missing was a formal dedication to Henny Youngman, when the Santa Cruz Festival of Living Music...Players teamed up with Bill Mathews' Antiquarian Funk Consort and Schola Cantorum Funkorum to present this unusual program of Medieval and Renaissance selections inspired by the barnyard sounds of hens and roosters.
    The were recordings of real-live chickens and chicken buttons for sale in the hall. The "No Smoking" sign had been chickenized, with a picture of a hen, and a pun on "eggs-actly."
    For her solo, soprano Jeanne Faulkner appeared in full fowl garb, signing "Die Henne"... and ruffling her tail feathers for an encore.... The program featured works for brass and winds, strings, one or more voices and harpsichord. With a time span which jumped around between the 13th and 18th centuries, the selections were diverse and sometimes quite moving, as in David Cosby's solo, "Canto lo Callo."
    Funk founder Bill Mathews made a considerable contribution to the proceedings, both with his musicianship on a variety of antique woodwinds, his direction, and his program notes."
    Rick Chatenever, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2/13/78

"Many thanks from all of us at Crown College [UC Santa Cruz] - and all the others - who attended last evening's Antiquarian Funk Consort concert! It was delightful. This was the first time I have heard the Schola Cantorum Funkum, and I was impressed."
    Peggy Vecchione, UC Santa Cruz, 2/17/77

"The Antiquarian Funk Consort, directed by Bill Mathews, contributed a lively and highly competent rendition of the 'Medici Wedding Music' of 1539...Tenor David Cosby was a standout, and the other eight consort members showed very strong versatility of a variety of Renaissance instruments. One piece scored for six krummhorns, was particularly favored by the audience...It brought bravos for the consort."
    Mark Lawshe, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 3/17/75