This photograph captures a neat scene from an event which I emceed this afternoon at the Kenosha Women’s Club- the Afternoon Tea sponsored by the Kenosha Orchestra Boosters. This organization exists to support the orchestra program for the Kenosha Unified School District – and this event featured performances by students from all of the middle schools and high schools in the district; the crowning moment of the day, however, was a performance by one of the best violinists in the world- Rachel Barton Pine. The above picture shows her performing solo music of Bach, with members of the Bradford High School chamber orchestra standing off to the side, watching and listen in admiration and awe.
It was a nice event although I have to say that it didn’t exactly run like a top. The first performance of the afternoon began almost ten minutes late and almost every single school went well over their allotted fifteen minutes, to the point where Rachel’s performance, which was scheduled for 3:30, did not begin until 4:20. Yikes. The quality of performances ranged from five-star to negative-one, although even the rougher performances were interesting. One of the most intriguing moments in the afternoon came when a string trio performed something by Handel – and almost immediately they got off from one another. (There was no conductor.) So you had two young violinists who were almost in sync with each other but most of the time about half a beat apart – and the cellist was completely at sea and sounded like she was just playing random notes. So 95% of a time their performance was the string equivalent of a little kid pounding on piano keys. And then every so often there would be two or three seconds where the three of them would suddenly be in perfect accord and the sounds they were making actually started sounding like music. What was neat is how courageously they kept playing, and one wonders if those fleeting moments of what I presume to have been accidental accord gave them hope that they could really get the thing back together.
There was some superb music-making as well, especially from a violinist who won first place in this year’s Kenosha Symphony Youth Auditions. About two minutes before she was supposed to go on, she and her teacher asked me – basically as a joke – if I felt like playing the piano accompaniment for her piece, the Violin Concert in G minor by Max Bruch. (Her regular piano player had to work and she just couldn’t think of anyone else to ask.) Shockingly for them (but not so shockingly for anyone who knows me at all) I said “Sure!” And I’m so glad I played for her, because this is the kind of piece that really needs accompaniment to have its full impact. The young lady played brilliantly and she earned the first standing ovation on the afternoon and deservedly so.
I also enjoyed the performance of the high school age niece of our good friend Paula Heide Waller. Abigail (I’m pretty sure that’s her name) took the stage very confidently in a bright black and red outfit and high top tennis shoes on her feet! The piece was the opening movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto and aunt and niece did a wonderful job. I also enjoyed the work of some younger players, including a couple of boys who looked so small up there yet fearless. And one young boy played the solo for Ashokan’s Farewell, that poignant violin piece used so memorably in the PBS “Civil War” series by Ken Burns.
One thing was really gratifying about the day – that so many people were crowded into the women’s club and so many people seemed to stick around long after their particular young ones had performed. So often at things like this, people come to watch their own but practically trip over themselves to leave as soon as they can. But I think the presence of Rachel Barton had something to do with people sticking around, well aware of what a treat it is to see someone of her stature up close like this. And somehow people seemed entirely caught up in the true spirit of the event and in supporting one another. And it’s so important to support young string players because it’s a tough, demanding road to reach true excellence or even real competence. But I’d like to think that today’s event put a little extra wind in their sails.