The ocean calls to us all. The primordial source of life on this planet.
And there's nothing like a Sea Chantey to evoke the spirit of a nautical world
filled with adventures, pirates, mermaids and a bitter captain bent on revenge.
On Saturday September 7th the Premiere Brass Quintet gave an exceptional performance at the Edendale Branch Library in Echo Park as part of the Library Foundation's city wide, month long festival "What Ever Happened to Moby Dick?" created to encourage readers to re-discover this timeless classic. Even if people haven't read the book in it's entirety they know the plot, the characters, the metaphors and it's most famous quotes.
Filling the community room with rich brassy tones were Ray Burkhart on trumpet (as well as arranging and even composing some of the selections), Kevin Brown on trumpet, Steve Durnin on French horn, Loren Marsteller on trombone and William Roper on tuba, playing to a full and enthusiastic crowd. As I saw parents with their small children, I couldn't help but think it is not that often kids (let alone the average adults) are exposed to these instruments up close and personal, due to budget cuts in schools and for the arts in general. It is refreshing that the Library Foundations and Friends of Libraries are doing what they can to continue presenting enriching programs for the community.
The concert consisted of songs relating to the sea as well as a few pieces from Melville's era such as the"Civil War Suite No.1" or "St. Paul's Suite" by Gustav Holst. The quintet opened the program with a whimsically rousing original composition by Burkhart titled "Toot", then shimmied into well known chanteys, "The Maid of Amsterdam", "Clear the Track and Let the Bulgine Run" and "Blow the Man Down". In between pieces Burkhart gave some back ground on Melville, Moby Dick, the time period and the music. I could almost feel the room gently rocking on waves, smell the salt water and hear the seagulls in the distance, so lucid was the journey.
They concluded the voyage with a series of famous movie music inspired by the ocean such as "The Little Mermaid" (Menken & Ashman) and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" (Zimmer).
All five players are full time, professional virtuosos working in town, therefore it was a privilege to be enveloped in such sumptuous sound.
The audience so appreciated the performance that they gave an instantaneous standing ovation at the conclusion coaxing an encore, which was the haunting chantey "Shenandoah" featuring a luscious tuba solo by Roper.
The spirit of The Whale continues and the brass quintet lives on
in Southern California.
The concert was sponsored by the Pasadena Arts Council, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, Edendale Library Friends Society and Kewa Civic Concerts
