GREENSBORO – A warm summer’s evening in the 70s, clouds clearing and then that “certain slant of light” of the golden setting sun spreading across the green landscape together with a full symphony orchestra performing a fine selection of beautiful melodies: what a perfect end to a day, nature and music combined harmoniously! That’s what the Vermont Philharmonic brought to the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro last Saturday in their Family Pops Concert, attracting a huge number of people. The orchestra was inside a tent with open sides, having limited seating, but the majority of the audience was outside on the slight rise to the north, comfortably ensconced in their own folding chairs or on blankets.
Music Director and Conductor Lou Kosma gave brief descriptions of each of the over a dozen works on the program in his usual informative and humorous way, and thanks to the great generosity of the Greensboro Funky Fourth of July committee and the Highland Center for the Arts, admission to the event was free by donation.
The first number was a familiar energetic march known as the “National Emblem,” written in 1902 by none other than a Vermonter, Eugene Bagley, for a band in Bellows Falls. The next choice was composed by Leroy Anderson, entitled The “Syncopated Clock,” with rhythms that cleverly imitated the ticking of a time piece. For years, Anderson was associated with the Boston Pops Orchestra and was the creator of many popular light tunes. A “Duke Ellington Medley” was a succession of winning melodies, finely orchestrated.
A classic of parade bands for more than a century has been John Phillip Sousa’s “Washington Post March,” with its infectious beat. Joanna Alpizar was the vocalist in “Sabor A Mi” by Alvaro Carrillo, scored by her husband, and sung in Spanish with a very professional voice.
George Bizet’s “March of the Toreodors” from his opera, “Carmen,” took us right to the excitement of a bull fight in Spain with its engaging rhythms.
“Revelations of a Betrayal” was an original work by Vermont Music-Comp student Alexander Maroney, which showed impressive skill in its instrumental textures and the suggestion of a certain mood implied in the title, but coming to a dreamy ending. “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” by Nosworth and Tilzner, was pure Americana in its lyrics and upbeat syncopation. Margaret Barsumian was the very talented musician in the “Clarinet Polka,” a lively dance tune.
“Ashoken Farewell” by Jay Ungar utilized the full range of potential orchestral sounds to enrich the initial theme. A particularly haunting melody was that used by Ken Burns in his Civil War documentary film, somehow saying in music what is beyond words about that tragic event. Selections from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story” evoked that meaningful adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” to a contemporary setting in the gang wars in New York City in the 1950s, with deeply felt music.
The last piece on the program was appropriately for the Fourth of July weekend, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Phillip Sousa, an irresistibly rousing march which the audience joined in by clapping hands in sync to the music.
We hope other outdoor concerts will be held in the future (weather permitting) at this delightful venue.
David K. Rodgers
David K. Rodgers is a writer, mason and card carrying dilettante, who dabbles and babbles in art. He has lived in East Craftsbury for the past 40 years.
