[(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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