Concert Thoughts

The Rapidan Orchestra just completed its 5th season with two concerts (at St. Stephen’s in Culpeper and at the Music Room in Orange) and I want to jot down some thoughts before they get lost in the Christmas rush.

The program - Egmont overture, Carmen Suite 1 plus the Habañera from Suite 2, and Mozart #40 - was the most substantial we’ve ever done, and we played well. A number of musicians told me how much they’d enjoyed playing and the audiences were very responsive and appreciative.

The St. Stephen’s parish hall space is small and  T shaped, which makes the sound very bright and clear. We set up a little differently than in the past, and part of that was moving me from the far left of the stage to just to the right of the center of the stage. The difference for me was enormous - I’ve never heard the woodwinds so well and so well balanced. 

Several of the audience members there used the word “loud”, so I think in the future we need to dial back the volume. That space would be great for chamber music.

At the Music Room in Orange we had the largest audience ever - 140 people plus or minus. I heard later that one audience member was a young girl who conducted enthusiastically the entire time, and apparently everyone around her enjoyed it. There were other children scattered through the audience as well - some from the string program and others the siblings of one of our players. There was gentleman who snored off and on. There were three elderly people in the back no one knew, but who seemed to be very well versed in the particular music on the program, and to all appearances had a wonderful time. 

When I asked a family member who has very little experience with classical music what she liked most she said, without missing a beat, “the last one”, i.e. the Mozart. When I asked why, she said because it was so “animated”. That we played the Mozart well enough for his essential spirit to come through feels like real success.

In short, a wonderfully diverse audience enjoying this great music together in a relaxed way - exactly the kind of unstuffy experience I’d hoped the Music Room could offer.

At intermission, there was an eruption of conversation throughout the room, which made me realize how valuable the Music Room is as a community space over and above being just a music space. The music drew us together and provided the opportunity for everyone to enjoy each others company. That Karla has put so much effort into making the space such a pleasant one amplifies that experience. Benjamin had thought about not having an intermission and asked us what we thought. Since the oboe section, with the tacit support of the horn section, became vaguely mutinous at the thought of that much playing without rest, he went ahead with having it and I’m glad he did.

I was born in Orange County seventy years ago, so know it fairly well. I still have trouble believing we have a successful orchestra. One woman, Heather our lead clarinet, has done more than anyone else to make it happen. And because the orchestra needed a better venue, Karla had the idea of the Music Room and here we are. There’s no telling exactly where all this leads, but it feels like we’re on the right track.

Open Rehearsal Pics

Back in October  we had an open rehearsal of the Rapidan Orchestra and I asked my niece Carmon to take some pictures without using flash. These two show the general setup in the Music Room for Rapidan rehearsals.

Here are the brass and woodwinds (Stephen on cello is paying second bassoon parts when not playing trombone).

Here are some shots of the strings.

Here's a shot of Don on timpani.

Here are some photos of Benjamin.

Here's a shot with my cousin Ada - the single most supportive person of my musical endeavors over a life time, Ed - who's work with the Art Center down the street is an inspiration of the Music Room - and Lama Tashi - my spiritual friend of something like 25 years. In the background you can see the reception area of the Music Room.

Here's a pic of Lama Tashi running the sound board for the microphone we used so the audience could hear what Benjamin was saying to the orchestra. Tashi with his low voice chanting has been recorded numerous times for scientific, commercial and non-profit purposes, but he had never run a sound board himself. 

Here's a pic of more of the people who came to the open rehearsal. There weren't a lot, but they were all fascinated, had a great time, and encouraged us to keep having them.