A Memorable Storytelling Performance ended this Summers River Concert Series on July 25th

The popular concert series finished its 6th Friday concert on the green at St. Mary’s College of Maryland last Friday at 7pm with a stellar performance.  The first half of the concert featured a repeat performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade", one of the most romantic pieces ever composed. The music tells the story of Scheherazade, a wife of a Persian King who saves her life by spinning interesting tales to her husband of 1001 Arabian Nights.  As music director, Jeffrey Silberschlag summarized "in the morning he (the king) had regrets.  He chopped their heads off (his wives).  And ah...It's an old system."

Jose Cueto, concertmaster violinist masterfully played the challenging voice of Scheherazade.  The four movement piece was wonderful and we enjoyed it as much as the previous performance several years ago, featuring violinist Regino Madrid.  Jeffrey described the "beautiful melodies in the cellos and horns, tongueing by the brass and fast notes in the clarinets and bassoons."  And lots of soaring strings.

 José Cueto and Regino Madrid

José Cueto and Jeffrey Silberschlag 

 The Chesapeake Orchestra Bows

 Two Cellists

The Second half of the concert starred Maureen McGovern, 1970's superstar singer of "The Morning After", from the hit movie "The Poseidon Adventure".   Her birthday was coming up, so she sang a silly amusing acapella happy birthday song to herself to the tune of “The William Tell Overture".  The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" was well sung with enthusiastic accompaniment by Victor Dvoskin on Bass. 

Ms. McGovern shared some amusing childhood stories about constantly singing. She talked about, “my parents in the living room desperately trying to watch Walter Cronkite while I was wondering ‘Where the Boys Are’, someone waits for me…”
I also enjoyed singing along with lots of 1960’s and 1970’s hits like Carole King’s  “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, “If I Had a Hammer”, “Turn!  Turn!  Turn!”, “When I’m Sixty-Four” and “Let It Be”.   Maureen McGovern may no longer be young, but she sure can give a great show and a fairly long show at that.  The concert was at least 45 minutes to an hour longer than usual and didn’t fail to include the Chesapeake Orchestra’s signature goodbye song “Sleigh Ride”.  The audience had enough repeat watchers to be giggling and clapping even before the music started as Jeffrey Silberschlag once again said “The Chesapeake Orchestra would like to be the First, to wish you a Merry Merry Christmas.”

Three photos of Maureen McGovern