Rodney’s First CONCERTS as a Senior Citizen!

CHILDREN’S CONCERT AT FORREST BURDETTE UMC

I celebrated my Birthday 65 in a BIG WAY, with two concerts on the HARRAH SYMPHONIC ORGAN at Forrest Burdette United Methodist Church in Hurricane, WV.  First, on Friday 9-28, I played a concert for the entire Connor Street Elementary School student body!  At 1pm about 400 students marched in single-file two blocks from school to church!  It looked liked the Israelites crossing the Red Sea!  Pastor Ellis Conley, Jayne Kirk-Director of Children’s Ministries and I greeted all the children at the door as they were seated, and I then ascended to the mighty six-manual console for the program. 

We began by singing the Star Spangled Banner and I then played the Buck Variation featuring the PEDALS which amazed the children.  We spoke about art class using three primary colors (red, yellow, blue) while the organ has four (Principal, Flute, String, Reed) and heard short pieces featuring each of these.  The kids enjoyed the WHISTLER AND HIS DOG “FLEA-turing” a flute and then a gnarly reed combination to make the “dog bark” at the end!  We brainstormed places where children might hear an organ:  church, ball park, movies, wedding, and heard songs from each place.  The children loved movie songs:  Star Wars, Aladdin, Under the Sea and of course LET IT GO from Frozen.  They clapped for Star Wars and sang the songs they knew.  All seemed to love the clapping sequences from the ball part, and they LOVED doing the chicken dance!  Of, course we ended with “THE PHANTOM” and then Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” which many have played in their music lessons. 

My favorite memory from the entire weekend was on Sunday morning, at Panera Restaurant where I was having breakfast.  A boy and his mom came in and were ordering.  He spied me sitting at my table, and immediately recognized me from Friday, he tugged on his mom, pointed to me and then started doing the chicken dance!  I laughed and gave him a thumbs up!  I believe the goal of bringing the children to hear the organ was met!  Hopefully, the children may wish to come to future programs and hear the organ!

BRASS AND THE HARRAH SYMPHONIC ORGAN

It was a tremendous opportunity to play with West Virginia’s LINCOLN BRASS a program of music for Organ and Brass Quintet.  My friend since high school Joe Patton a member of the Quintet helped organize this event and we are grateful to the PipeSounds Board for agreeing to and supporting this program!  The music was simply spectacular as was the Lincoln Brass and the Harrah Symphonic Organ.  We played some familiar pieces including Barber Adagio for Strings, Gigout Grand Choeur Dialogue, Handel Hallelujah Chorus, and some powerful newer works including Curnow Rejouissance on A Mighty Fortress, Holst THAXTED from Jupiter, and Phillips Suite for Organ, Brass Quintet and Percussion. 

My thanks to the Lincoln Brass (Keith, Jeff, Jon, Joe, Buddy) and percussionist Scott for your great playing and again to the Pipe Sounds Board, to Don Gatewood, Pastor Ellis Conley and Allen Harrah, organbuilder for making this amazing experience possible!  This music, this weekend plus my Coconut Creme Pie from Springhill Bakery make quite a memorable 65th Birthday!