I am grateful for my long and exciting run conducting South Shore Conservatory’s Evenings Under the Stars (EUS) opening night orchestra. My first opening concert was in 1998 in the Carr Amphitheater. This rehearsal and performance space may have been conceptualized and designed with Summer Wind Ensemble students in mind, but it is the perfect venue for outdoor orchestra concerts. Apart from 2020, I have been back every year to open the Saturday evening concert series.
Conducting at EUS is particularly gratifying for me because, not only am I originally from Hingham, but I was one of the first students at South Shore Conservatory when it was incorporated as a community school for the arts over 50 years ago. The Conservatory has held a place in my life and my heart throughout all my musical development.
This year’s July 6 Evenings Under the Stars opening night program is called Transatlantic Rhapsody. SSC President Robert Cinnante and I always work on programming repertoire together, and I love our collaborative spirit. He has experience as executive director for an orchestra and as a performer, so our ideas for selections are often in sync.
We decided to explore the concept of “Rhapsody” because Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. We found some inspiring American pieces to supplement the Gershwin, but then the idea for Bohemian Rhapsody came along and we knew this would be a perfect, unexpected pairing. I had already conducted a fantastic arrangement by the Brooklyn Duo, a dynamic husband and wife team in New York, and was eager to perform it again.
We wanted to collaborate with broadcast legend and Boston area icon Ron Della Chiesa, and having him narrate Lincoln Portrait by Copland seemed to be the perfect fit. Robert and I were delighted he agreed to join us. The last piece of the puzzle was finding a challenging work for Elijah Langille to conduct with our SSC Youth Orchestra (SSCYO). Elijah has been my Assistant Conductor now for a few seasons, and he does an outstanding job with SSCYO. He has such a talent for working with students, plus he’s undergone excellent professional conducting training in Europe.
It seemed natural for us to combine forces – Phil and SSC Youth Orchestra musicians. For the side-by-side performance we chose The Bamboula, a rhapsodic dance for orchestra, by Coleridge-Taylor, a British/African composer with ties to the United States. The vibrant piece is both demanding and satisfying for students, and the Phil players, having recently performed it, are already familiar with the music.
I look forward to being back on the Carr Amphitheater stage this summer. It’s always nice to reconnect with friends and fellow musicians from my youth. This will be an exciting concert in a beautiful, idyllic open-air setting. I hope the audience enjoys the unique music selections, the wonderful orchestra, and gifted artists, including guest piano soloist Victor Cayres. It’s a wonderful way to top off your Saturday, bring family and friends together, and support a vital community resource.
South Shore Conservatory’s Evenings Under the Stars concert series presents Transatlantic Rhapsody on Saturday, July 6, 7 pm in the Carr Amphitheater at One Conservatory Drive in Hingham. For tickets and more information, visit at https://summer.sscmusic.org/eus/ or find South Shore Conservatory on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
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