Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Reston Connection: 'MLK Concert Rocks, Reston Community Orchestra gathers together and celebrates.'


[(Photo by Michael McKee/The Connection) Maestro Dingwall Fleary addresses the audience prior to the MLK Concert.]

By Michael McKee/The Connection
Tuesday, January 17, 2012


Saturday, Jan. 14 the Reston Community Orchestra, known for its interpretation of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music, had the audience jumping with its presentation of Spirituals and crowd pleasing Duke Ellington numbers. The Reston Community Center was filled to capacity and Maestro Fleary and the RCO were in top form, proving they are also adept at contemporary music.

“The program began with the audience participating in singing the oft-called African-American Anthem entitled 'Lift Ev'ry Voice & Sing' and then moved on into works by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, an African-English composer, and Antonin Dvorak, a Czech. The former featured section leader Stephanie Fouse on the flute and the latter was introduced by the Heritage Signature Chorale, directed by Stanley Thurston. Next was the premiere of a piece by the contemporary composer Eric Lacy, who was in the audience.

“But then came the excitement. Fleary led the RCO into a number of selections from Gershwin's 'Porgy & Bess' with fine trombone playing and then a show-stopping medley of Duke Ellington pieces, featuring some great trumpet work. By the end of the 'Duke's' medley, the audience was stomping, cheering and a chorus of 'whoos' was shouted.” [The Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Foundation, www.sctf.org.uk, is commemorating the Centennial of the composer's death this year. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) and Duke Ellington  (1899-1974) are profiled at AfriClassical.com

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