Formal evenings of stiff black tuxes, flowing gowns and ragged ticket stubs flee the classical music stage in Humboldt County when summer commences. Now the tempo relaxes into mellow weekend afternoons of traditional brass oom-pahs and eclectic organ noodlings.

For a thrilling traditional brass band experience check out the Eureka Symphony's Brass Ensemble on the great lawn at Fern Cottage in Ferndale Sunday, July 3. In addition to rousing, patriotic music for the day before the Fourth, there will be tours of the grounds and the historic home of Joseph and Zipporah Russ, along with an old-fashioned ice cream social after the concert.

Fern Cottage is located three miles west of downtown Ferndale, at 2121 Centerville Road. The concert is 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3.

Reservations are recommended due to limited seating. Reserve tickets by calling 786-4835. The prices are $25 per person, $40 per couple or $50 for families of 3-6. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Eureka Symphony and the Fern Cottage Foundation.

Eureka's Christ Episcopal Church's summer program, "Sundays at 4" continues on Sunday, July 31 at 4 p.m. The concert is free and all are invited.

Organist Doug Moorehead will present a discussion and performance of "Suite Medievale" for organ, composed by French organist Jean Langlais in 1947. If you recall your music history, Gregorian chants were the pop tunes of the 10th to 13th century. This eclectic, entertaining music by contemporary composer Langlais consists of five separate movements, each containing a melody taken from Gregorian chant. Moorehead will play the chant melody, discuss its use in the particular movement in which it is found, and then play the movement in its entirety. This music is very "listenable," according to Moorehead and shows off many unusual sounds of the 31-rank Kegg pipe organ, including the mighty sound of the full organ at the end of the final movement. Christ Episcopal Church is located at 14th and H streets in Eureka.