Monday, November 22, 2010

December Orchestra Musicians' Event calendar coming up

First United Methodist Church Choir, Shreveport and Music Minister Will Andress present two "Glorias",
Mark Hayes and John Rutter
Sunday December 5 @ 5:30 PM
- a feast for the senses -

                                                                                                            

Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet presents - Nutcracker - with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra

Performances

Saturday December 4, 2010 @ 7:30 PM

Sunday December 5, 2010 @ 3:00 PM

Riverview Theatre





I will be posting December music events soon. If you would like to have your area music event posted on this blog, use my email address to send name of event along with when, where and time.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra plays Mahler and Barber Saturday 11-13-2010

We are finally back in the saddle again. (Must be my Texas roots peeking out from under a big cottonwood tree.) With Maestro Michael Butterman once again on the podium and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra musicians on stage after three years of prolonged contract negotiations, what better way to say "We're Baaaaaaaack." than to celebrate the official start of the 2010-2011 season with two well-known and talented contemporary composers, Gustav Mahler and Samuel Barber.

Join us Saturday night November 13, 7:30 PM at Riverview Theatre downtown on the riverfront for Barber's Adagio for Strings, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 featuring soprano Mary Wilson and after intermission Mahler's Symphony No. 1, The Titan.

As I mentioned on my FB page, if you love the sound of HORNS, you'll get to see and hear 8 of them tomorrow night. and we're ALL back.

Just add 3 more and you've got yourself one huge Horn section

And don't forget the Brass, the Strings, the Winds and the Percussion sections


L-R Craig Pratt, Susan W Rogers, James Boldin, Angela Bagnetto-Finley, Jeff Taylor, Kristine Coreil, Tom Hundemer, Judy Causey
The SSO Mahler Horn section
photo by Prin. Tbn Dr. Mike Davidson, editing by sjwr


SSO Principal Horn Tom Hundemer with former Principal Viola Nancy Headlee

SSO Second Horn Susan W Rogers with former SSO violist Debbie Stille photo by Chad Causey, editing by sjwr

Packing up the Contra after the concert
SSO Bassoonist/Contra Bassoonist Janelle Ott


 Is that mine? Better get busy Pac-Man

Long time friend and SSO violinist Rosemary Hatch
who stayed overnight with us Sunday night before flying out Monday morning


hubby Harold

Rosemary helping us trim our tree early - we have a house full of family guests staying with us Thanksgiving week-end, so an early start is a MUST

LOOKING GOOD, Rosemary!! Easier than Mahler!
Enjoy the Tiger Sauce!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

In Memoriam to Sandra Sue Batscha - former SSO violinist

SANDY BATSCHA 1955 - 2010

A celebration of Life


photo provided by Debbie Stille, edited by sjwr

Having auditioned for Maestro John Shenaut along with several other would - be SSO musicians in 1979, violinist Sandra Batscha joined our orchestra ranks for the 1979-1980 season. Other new orchestra members that season were Joanie Christenson, Henry Hooker, Alicia Randisi, Tim Wright, Andy Brandt, Nathan Ladyzhensky, Terry Franco and Debbie Stille. For several years before moving to Dallas in the mid - 80's Sandy served as Assistant Principal sitting next to Principal Second Violin Grace Patterson playing orchestra concerts and performing in various school ensembles with Jimmy Lee, Connie Bernet, Grace Patterson, Debbie Stille, Terry Franco, Daniel Pankratz and Tom Stark. By 1989 she had auditioned for and won a position with the Dallas Opera. She received her 20 year performance certificate last year.

Sandy was always known as a quiet, kind, unassuming individual who loved music and shared that love with her friends and colleagues. As a 19 year old teen - ager who even then was considering music as a career she survived experimental heart surgery and adjusted to a long period of rehab and recovery. Sadly, as she had been preparing for  additional heart surgery, possible within a year or so, she collapsed on her way to a performance in Dallas Tuesday November 2, and passed away the next day. Sandy was 55 years old.

Debbie Stille - "She was remembered as both a solid, talented violinist who knew her parts and could be counted on to play the right notes in the right places, and a humble, caring person who had kind words for everyone she encountered. It was clear to all of us that, despite her declining health, she was happy with her life, her profession and her family and friends . . . . . for that and for the honor of knowing her these many years, I am truly grateful."

Last Friday November 5 I drove to Restland Cemetery in Dallas to attend the memorial service for our friend and fellow musician Sandy Batscha. It's a three hour drive for me, so I had time to reflect on life as it is and what we sometimes would like it to be. The various components do not always compute and sometimes offer more questions than answers. I was told a few days ago from someone here who had attended Wednesday's Dallas Opera performance that Sandy's chair was left vacant that night. Another person on FB remarked that a big hole has been left in our hearts and that it will take time to heal.

For those of us who remember Sandy, the sadness in the loss of a friend and colleague gives us pause to think about unexpected intercepts in our life, things that many of us may never truly understand. Photos below were taken before the service.

Restland Chapel, Dallas TX
Sandy's violin

Adagio from Oboe Concerto in C m by Benedetto Marcello

Kristin Van Cleve, violin

Suneetha D'Apice, violin

Mitch Maxwell, 'cello

Liesl-Ann de Villers, viola

Stewart Williams, oboe



Other musicians playing at the memorial service were Kareen Britt, flute - David Williams, harp - Jennifer Bryan, violin - Naoko Nakamura Stromberg, harp.

At the end of the service, all musicians who had brought their instruments were invited to come to the front and play Copland's "Simple Gifts", and as I moved to the front to stand beside another horn player, (someone whom I had never met), I felt blessed that I had the opportunity to share music with others who felt as I did about Sandy Batscha. Each year after Dallas Opera season ended, Sandy would let me know that she was available to play SSO when we needed her.

Before and after the service I had a chance to greet and hug many orchestra musicians who had known Sandy and whom I had hired  to play SSO during my 32 years as personnel manager - Cathy Richardson, Jennifer Bryan, Dan Lewis, Chris Pike, David Williams, Ceci Lagarenne, Dwight Anderson and others whose names escape me at the moment.

I would like to thank Sandy's sister Cathy (herself a violinist) and oboist Stewart Williams for helping co-ordinate the beautiful service at Restland Chapel. Also, many thanks to Deborah Stille for providing me with some information that I had long since filed away and forgotten years ago.


Susan W. Rogers, SSO 2nd Horn

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Cathedral of St John Berchmans presents the Faure' Requiem 7:00 PM this evening


Music Minister Justin Ward rehearsing with choir and orchestra

Soprano soloist Candice Taylor

Baritone soloist Clarance Brown

The Cathedral of St John Berchmans will present an All Soul's Day Latin Mass at 7:00 PM this evening Tuesday, November 2, with orchestra and chorus featuring - The Faure' Requiem. Soloists are soprano Candace Taylor and baritone Clarance Brown.

'Cellists Pam Martin and Laura Huff
Bassist Deborah Scarlato


The Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

Rehearsal in the loft




Performance - Faure' Requiem Mass
All Souls Day

Justin Ward
hornist Colin Mcrea
Marc-Andre Bougie and members of the choir

violist Zack Grant
Lenny Kacenjar
 soprano soloist Candace Taylor

St Johns organist
Tom Hundemer reading the Latin liturgy
Clarance Brown - baritone soloist



Justin Ward



violinist Eileen Lassiter Grant
Justin Ward rehearsing with choir before Mass