Peter, That Wolf & Other Wild Things River Concert June 28, 2013

It's official!  Jim and I are THE volunteer photographers for the Chesapeake Orchestra and the River Concert series.  We've been taking photos of the River Concerts for so many years.  It was time to put our photos to good use!

Last Friday's concert featured Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and the talented young dancers of the local Ballet Caliente, directed and read by owner Sheryl-Marie Dunaway.  The children and young adults were excellent! 

I photographed the rehearsal as well, since the threat of thunderstorms and even large hail existed. Fortunately, the hail didn't materialize.  The stage had to be wiped down using towels and a broom.  There were even two very quick rainbows.  Concerts with rainstorms are interesting because I tend to meet new people when you share rain shelters.  This time I met some orchestra members and the young adults under a tent for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education.

Here's a few of my favorite photos, but you can see lots more of my favorites pictures at the Baynet.com  http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/32748

Some musicians from the Chesapeake Orchestra

Peter. herself

The poor duck was just eaten, hence the feathers were flying!

 

The next concert takes place on Friday, July 5th, 7 P. M. on the green at St. Mary's College of Maryland.  The concert features Soprano Jennifer Page, lots of patriotic music by Sousa, Tchaikovsky, John Williams, Richard Rodgers, etc. and FIREWORKS!

Last River Concert of the 2012 Season Supported Local Talent

Former jazz ensemble director Rick Humphrey performed a wonderful solo on sax at the River Concert last week at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 

To see more of our local talented musicians and read about last week’s River Concert, please read my review at the Bay Net  I reviewed the last five concerts.  You’ll have to wait till next June to see more River Concerts on the green, but the Chesapeake Orchestra will continue performances in other locations.  What a great season!

River Concert Review on the BayNet

Here's the link to the July 20th River Concert story on the BayNet and a bonus photo. 

Next week is the last River Concert this year, complete with jazz and folk music!  Don't miss it!

St Mary's College of MD River Concert June 29th, 2012

I've been away in Pennsylvania and Virginia for a month and just got back in time to see the 2nd wonderful River Concert of the season.  We missed the first concert on June 22 (boo hoo) which was apparently fairly stormy.  It featured two talented young sister violinists, Jessica and Katelyn Lyons   To read my review of the June 29th concert visit the BayNet at: http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/28422 


More on our other adventures will follow soon.

River Concert 2011 Celebrates Independence Day Weekend in Patriotic Style

The third 2011 River Concert of the season gathered a huge crowd, filling the lawn at St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a sea of people on the evening of Friday, July 1st . Before beginning the concert with the Chesapeake Orchestra playing the “Star Spangled Banner”, music director Jeffrey Silberschlag warned the crowd to ”get under their chairs for the flyover” after the anthem. No one ducked, but they did give a hearty cheer! “Danger Zone” from “Top Gun” immediately followed, sung by a passionate performer playing electric guitar. The flyover in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation included two Navy jets whose pilots, and some Navy brass, were introduced later in the concert.
Next on the musical program was “Holiday Overture” by Elliot Carter, written in the modern mode during World War II. The music was a little jumbled with a varied style and not particularly melodic. There were jerky sounding strings, bells, sticks and an abrupt ending.

The audience was amused by “A Grand, Grand Overture Op. 57 composed by Malcolm Arnold, a satire of a serious overture. The work was announced by Maestro Silberschlag as “going where no orchestra would ever dare go.” The Overture featured hedge trimmer played by Sam Goddard, two vacuum cleaners amusingly presented by St. Mary’s College President Joseph Urgo and Ginny Stein, muskets shot by costumed interpreters from Historic St. Mary’s City (as can only be portrayed in St. Mary’s County) and a leaf blower performed by Jim Bershon. Some of the “instruments” were actually substitutions for the original use of a floor polisher and real guns. To our amusement, the vacuum cleaners had a lovely sword fight, attempted to dust a nearby photographer’s camera and Joseph Urgo quietly vacuumed his yellow tie.

Jeffrey Silberschlag joked that the excerpts from the “Air Power Suite” by Norman Dello Joio were “one hour long. We’ll do it twice.” The work had lots of soaring melodies, a lot of repeated notes in the string section, full sized chimes and some lovely flutes. I was disappointed that the Chesapeake Orchestra didn’t play “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” a favorite song listed in the program.

After intermission, and the familiar “Liberty Bell March” by J. P. Sousa, Sterling Lambert, a professor of Musicology at the College read “Thomas Jefferson: In His Own Words” in his dramatic British tenor voice accompanied by the full orchestra. The music was a backdrop for the words which included everything from the “Bill of Rights”, to love, and the number of free and captive slaves Jefferson kept. The work ended with Jefferson’s words, “I Shall not die without the hope that life and liberty are on steady advance.”

The concert concluded with some rousing Sousa music including the “King Cotton March” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” (accompanied by many amateur singers in the audience), Morton Gould’s “American Salute” (based on “When Johnny comes Marching Home Again”) and of course P.I. Tchaikovsky’s ”1812 Overture” accompanied by fireworks over the St. Mary’s River. The many boats with their small lights bobbing in the waters of the river were a delightful sight to behold after the concert.

An Evening at the Summer Palace: A River Concert that Wowed the Audience

The Baroque themed second River Concert of the 2011 Season was held at St. Mary’s College of Maryland on Friday June 24, 2011. Music Director, Jeffrey Silberschlag joked that the Chesapeake Orchestra called it “Sweating to the Oldies”. Entirely performed by a smaller chamber orchestra complete with harpsichord and friends, the evening was delightful.

Wow, what a concert! Each new solo performer brought the audience to their feet. It was probably one of the longest concerts, and definitely one of the best. The evening began with J.S. Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 3”, which included the well known “Air” movement, commonly referred to as the Air on the G string and often used in weddings. The movement is one of the most widely recognized Baroque pieces ever written.

Giuseppe Nova, co-director of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Alba Campus expertly played solo flute in the “Orchestral Suite in B Minor”, again by Bach. This mostly light and cheerful piece included a triple solo with harpsichord, Mr. Nova, and Suzanne Orban on Cello. Mr. Nova received the first standing ovation and an extra bow.

Fatma Daglar, principle Oboist for the Chesapeake Orchestra for many years, played “Concerto for Oboe” by B. Marcello with much feeling, using her whole body including her foot and even her eyebrows. Cellist Suzanne Orban, heard many times with the Chesapeake Orchestra, played “Concerto for Cello in G Major”. This very difficult piece included many fast paced sections that required intense concentration by Ms. Orban.

The lovely young Nina DeCesare (pictured), 2010 winner of the Young Artist Competition, wowed the audience with some very impressive high notes on the double Bass in “Concerto for Double Bass in D Major” by J.B. Vanhal. Viewers spontaneously clapped after a particularly difficult section and also gave her a standing ovation.

Trombonist, Bryan Bourne, played the half sized alto trombone in “Concerto for Trombone” written by Michael Hayden, the brother of well known Joseph Hayden. This piece began very slowly and was very smoothly played by Mr. Bourne, and later included a light hearted section and a short solo by violinist Jose Cueto.

The concert ended spectacularly with flautists Giuseppe Nova and Karen Johnson, and violinist Jose Cueto (pictured) in Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No 4”, and the well known and personal favorite, “Water Music” by G. F. Handel.

Jeffrey Silberschlag reminded the audience that next week’s concert features fireworks, a flyover to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Naval Aviation, and that famous piece written about the French Russian war that we Americans have somehow claimed for the Fourth of July, Tchaikovsky’s ”1812 Overture”. The concert will be “BYOAPI” or “bring your own apple pie”. Be sure to get there early!

“Wintry Mix” Opens the River Concert Series for 2011

The first River Concert of the season on June 17 2011, held on the green at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, was a success in spite of the threat of thunderstorms in early weather reports. A light rain cooled off the evening during the orchestra tune up, and then remained dry and comfortable.

The”Symphony 7 opus 105” of Jean Sibelius, played by the Chesapeake Orchestra, started with a scale and included a rich sleepy melody, some lighthearted plucking, followed by a speedy section. The symphony also included a portion that sounded like churning water or a storm, which resolved into a frolicking tune that was more lighthearted. At the end of the piece, music director Jeffrey Silberschlag asked the audience, “How many times did someone start the Harley (motorcycle)? I counted 15!” Ahhh, there are risks in an outdoor concert.

The “Piano Concerto No. 3” by Bela Bartok, written while he was dying and worried about his wife’s finances, featured pianist Eliza Garth (pictured). The piece included many different moods from crawling to bouncy and fast, then later included solo drum beats.

After intermission, the orchestra played a short piece, “Mirage”, composed by a 2011 graduate of the college, Mary Coy. The brief piece was fascinating and moody. It will be interesting to see if we hear more of her music in the future.

After asking the audience to “Come back again, but leave your Harley at home”, Jeffrey Silberschlag ended the concert with Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 1. Opus 10”. The symphony included many soloists on flute, timpani, etc. including a very high crying solo by violinist José Cueto.

The River Concert Series Finish

The last River Concert of the 2010 series ended on Friday July 30th. Jim and I enjoyed it very much. Who doesn’t like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony? Kate Baldwin, a singer who performed in Broadway’s “Finian’s Rainbow” was wonderfully expressive and fun to watch. We really feel blessed to get to see such wonderful talent in St. Mary’s County and I appreciate all of the work that must go on behind the scenes to plan, promote and put on the River Concerts each year. Thank you St. Mary’s College of Maryland and all the people involved. Click to see my review of “the Grand Finale” River Concert on The Bay Net. I have lots more of the Beauty of the World to photograph and share, so stay tuned.

River Concerts at St. Mary's College of Maryland

Only one River Concert left this season, and it should be a really good one. Wyle, where I work part-time, is sponsoring Kate Baldwin at the next concert, Friday July 30th 7pm at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She will be singing Broadway show tunes. Ms. Baldwin has been starring in “Finian’s Rainbow” on Broadway and is nominated for a Tony award for her performance. She should be excellent and have wide appeal. The Chesapeake Orchestra is also playing “Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5”. Who isn’t familiar with that?
My review of last Friday’s River Concert starring José Cueto is now online at The Bay Net. José is a very talented violinist and we always enjoy listening to him.

Fifth River Concert Brought out Some Smiles

Once again, Jim and I attended the River Concert on July 16th at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. A 16 year old violinist, Brian Hong was featured. I arrived quite early and the heat and humidity were particularly oppressive. Minutes before the concert began, a brief storm passed by, cooling off the temperatures considerably. At first I thought about keeping my gear dry, but I couldn’t resist taking out my camera to take these photos of the crowd, showing how delighted folks were to feel the cooling rain. Sometimes the spectators are as interesting as the show. To read my review of the concert, visit the Bay Net.

River Concert Wows the Crowd with Singing

At last week’s River Concert at St. Mary’s College of Maryland on July 9th, we got an excellent view of the singing. Jim and I sat in the second row to watch. Sometimes I even crawl in front of the first row to get a better angle of the soloist’s hands or instrument. (As long as I am not blocking some else’s view!) Pictures of music stands and people’s heads don’t really add to the photo! As the evening sky gets darker, I have to remember to keep resetting the ISO rating higher (speed) which adds a grainy look to the pictures. I enjoy trying to catch orchestra members laughing at a small joke or eyeing the soloist with appreciation. I often like to get photos of the crowd as well, especially children enthralled with the music and people having fun. At this particular concert, I enjoyed seeing Olivia and Larry Vote perform, since they were involved with my church choir a few years ago. It was a wonderful concert, leaving me humming the tunes for the rest of the evening.
To read my review of the concert on The Bay Net, go to http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/18710

Large Crowd Gathered for River Concert Wasn’t Disappointed.

The third River Concert of the 2010 season, titled “Summon the Heroes”, began with a huge crowd of enthusiastic music lovers on the green at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “It’s nice to have a small crowd to play for” exclaimed Jeffrey Silberschlag, music director, tongue in cheek. At the concert on Friday evening July 2nd, 2010, the festival vendors were doing a brisk business selling dinners and crafts to the happy crowd. After the extreme heat in the early part of the week, Friday’s Spring-like weather attracted visitors in large numbers.

In deference to the coming holiday, the evening began with a rousing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” by the Chesapeake Orchestra, followed by John Williams “Summon the Heroes”, a piece written for the 100th Anniversary of the modern Olympic games, according to the conductor. This majestic piece included lots of trumpets, drums, cymbals and soaring strings.

Morton Gould’s “American Salute” followed, a fairly popular work based on the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again”. This was appropriate for an evening with so many patriotic works.

One of the highlights of the evening was a performance by Ian Chaava (pictured), euphophonist and runner-up in the River Concert Young Artist Concerto Competition. Introduced to the Euphonium in his sophomore year in high school, he has progressed at a rapid rate with the instrument. He played Jean Baptiste Arban’s “Carnival of Venice”, a piece most of us would recognize as a complex fingered variation of “My Hat, It Has Three Corners”. The young man gave an excellent performance and was well received with a standing ovation, prompting a huge smile from Mr. Chaava. Well Done!

Perry Goldstein’s nostalgic piece, “The Abundant Air” was a contemporary jazzy work played by the Marine Saxophone Quartet from “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band. The Quartet consisted of Steven Temme on soprano sax, Gregory Ridlington on Alto sax, David Jenkins on tenor sax and Otis Goodlett, IV, baritone Saxophonist accompanied by a talented Bass soloist from the Chesapeake Orchestra. The work was sometimes disjointed with lots of stops and starts and some 50’s jazz creating a music story. The Quartet followed with a jazzy rendition of “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay”.

After the intermission, the concert saved the best for last with Brian Ganz, piano soloist and local artist-in-residence at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, who played George Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F”. St. Mary’s County is so lucky to have such an accomplished and enthusiastic pianist who vibrates with the joy of the music from head to toe. Even though he was the soloist, he also seemed to coax the best out of the Chesapeake orchestra, obviously enjoying the music between solo sections, a definite team effort with the conductor. This rhythmic jazzy work was just superb. Jeffrey Silbershlag also announced that Mr. Ganz just signed an agreement with the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD to play Chopin’s works for 10-15 seasons, starting on January 21st.

The River Concert ended with a Sousa’s “Liberty Bell March” and Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”, followed by spectacular fireworks over St. Mary’s River.

Next week’s River Concert, “A Grand Night for Singing” will feature guest conductor Larry Vote, soprano Michelle B. Johnson, mezzo-soprano, Olivia Vote and baritone, Brian Major with overtures from “Carmen”, “Porgy and Bess”, “The Barber of Seville” and more.

FYI-the Fireworks photo won 3rd place in the night photography competition at St. Mary's County Camera Club in August 2010.

2010 River Concerts

We attended the second River Concert of the 2010 season, called “Trills and Thrills”, on Friday June 25th at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, featuring the Chesapeake Orchestra. From front row seats we could hear the music well and see all of the musicians close-up. Tourists and local music lovers should be sure to take advantage of the summer concerts. You could easily spend a lot of money to hear musicians of this quality. The surroundings on the large grassy green are pleasant and divided into sections from the “Serious Listening” up front, to the ”Serious Socializing” in back. There are even food and craft vendors. Each concert has a different theme, and either presents a well known singer or instrumentalist and/or some excellent local talent. And you can’t beat the price: free! But you’ll probably want to give a small donation. Just be sure to bring a chair or blanket. To learn more about this particular concert and see my review visit the Bay Net here.

St. Mary's College of MD River Concert Reviews 2010

Like last year, I decided to do reviews of the River Concerts at St. Mary's College of Maryland on The Bay Net, our local online newspaper. The concerts are wonderful and we usually sit up front to see and hear all the action. I'll probably be writing the articles every week for the next 7 weeks.  Please read my article at http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/18402