Tech Talk 2.0: Let the Games Begin

A few years ago after our annual staff retreat (did you see our picture on Facebook?), I mentioned casually that I prefer chamber music to a full-scale orchestral explosion. I was riding “shotgun.” Alan Jordan, VSO Executive Director, was behind the wheel. He half-jokingly remarked, “I should drop you off on the side of the road, right here.” We were in Moscow, Vermont. Alan took this comment as a direct hit on what the VSO is doing: presenting orchestral works and using that medium to educate children (and others) about music and its value. Explaining what qualities in chamber music attract me is related to explaining why I love Vermont (I live in Burlington), and why I hated living in Boston (for all of nine months); it is a matter of personal connection. A stage populated with 70 players plus a conductor seems faceless to me. I find it hard to connect to the human side of the music, especially when my passage is blocked by a sonic wall of bombastic brass. (This is one of the reasons I adore our “Life is a Symphony” musician profiles. The chamber concert is an intimate affair. Two, three, four, five people on stage at a time. The music is quieter, begging for your attention. The chamber musician’s attire is slightly more ostentatious than that of her orchestral sister. Admiring said clothing is an excellent way to get through an unfortunate programming of, say, Kurtag, not to mention simply marveling at the aerobic body ticks and facial contortions required of these performers.

You are now thinking, Why is this VSO person hating on what she is supposed to be promoting? Well, maybe not in those exact words. This is a viable inquiry. Thankfully, the VSO is made up of several multi-talented individuals who make a multi-faceted organization possible. The VSO provides best of both worlds – orchestral and chamber music. Jaime Laredo is the personification of this versatility. He conducts the VSO, solos with the VSO, plays in a trio with his wife Sharon Robinson and long-time friend and pianist Joseph Kalichstein, and he is Music Director of the VSO. I’m excited to report we have just begun our annual fall foliage tour, which happens to feature a smaller orchestra, that is, a chamber orchestra. The Made in Vermont tour is at the heart of the VSO’s mission: quality programming accessible to all. We are touring to smaller communities statewide (and playing in some cool little venues). OK, so the musicians might not be dressed in their best Versace gown, but smaller scale venues allow for a more intimate concert experience. Made in Vermont is special for another reason, one that is decidedly more Vermont than Boston. Each year, we commission a piece for the tour by a Vermont composer or one with close Vermont ties. The piece is made in Vermont. Get it? This year’s composer is Derrik Jordan of East Dummerston. He has composed a piece about an Abenaki myth that explains how Lake Champlain was made. (Made in Vermont. Get it?) I’ll leave the retelling to Derrik. In addition to this piece (which you can learn more about by watching a ten-minute video interview with Derrik on our blog), the program includes an arrangement of a Mozart String Quartet, Bizet’s light-hearted Jeux d’enfants (Children’s Games), and Haydn Symphony No. 82 (“The Bear”). The Bizet may have been programmed as a shout out to our French friends (one of which was Samuel de Champlain), but it is occurring to me now that it is a fitting piece for a tour happening not only around the beginning of another school year, but also at state colleges around Vermont. I guess you could say the students at Vermont State Colleges are scholars being made in Vermont. Get it? OK, OK, I promise I won’t do that anymore. Every one-time college student knows the games commence once mom and dad are back on the interstate heading home. Perhaps this isn’t what Bizet had in mind (he was probably thinking more along the lines of hopscotch, as opposed to sip scotch). Check out the complete tour on our website. Thankfully for us all, the VSO’s musical foray doesn’t end on October 4 at 9:30 p.m. in Woodstock. Our dichotomous orchestral/chamber programming continues throughout our 75th anniversary season (lucky you!).

Exactly one month from our opening concert, on October 24, the VSO will present its first Masterworks series concert at the Flynn Center in Burlington. This program was supposed to happen in March of 2008, but we experienced one of those rare “acts of God” contracts always allude to, but never actually happen. The lights went out. The ice on the branches of trees and on power lines was too much and the grid went dark. At least it did in the southern part of Burlington and in Winooski, as well. The Flynn was shrouded in darkness; or at least dimly lit by emergency luminance. What would have been a real bummer of an evening was redeemed by the evening’s soloist, Soovin Kim, who walked on stage in the darkness and played some solo Bach. Chamber music at the Flynn? Preposterous! It was his impromptu performance that stands out in the attendees’ memories. When asked about it, people always mention Soovin, not the nasty weather outside, not the inconvenience of it all. I’d like to think some people remember the fact that they were able to trade in their March 8 ticket for a dazzling chamber recital in May of that year including Soovin, Jaime, Sharon Robinson, and principal flutist Albert Brouwer. Many sentences later, this digression serves to announce that our October Masterworks concert this year will be an exact replica of that concert, minus the darkness and confusion. Going back to the orchestral vs. chamber thing I’ve been yakking about: it is the concerto, I believe, that successfully fuses orchestral music to chamber music. This is where these two genres collide. On one hand, you have the big orchestra creating the sonic wall. However, that is balanced with the sensitivity of that one player who makes the human connection, to pull on your heart strings, to make the performance intimate, to be the face of the music. On October 24, that role will be handled by Soovin Kim playing Sibelius’ Violin Concerto. I hate to gloat, Burlington, but despite the weather on March 8, the whole gang of us traveled down to Rutland the next day for a repeat peformance (as part of our Sunday Matinee Series) and I can report it was the kind of piece and the kind of playing that makes every hair on your body stand on end. I sat as close as I could (which is pretty close at the Paramount in Rutland). I mean, I could see the rosin dust lightly wafting around Soovin, creating something like magician’s smoke. There was sorrow and yearning and what felt like a long journey being told in his playing. I was told this was the first time Soovin performed this particular concerto. A year and a half later, I’m dying to see the same program again, if only to observe the maturity of the piece under this particular violinist.

I’m only going to go that far, but it should be known that we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of January because in late-January we welcome Andre Watts, world-famous pianist, for a three-concert run of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. In March, we continue the three-year trend of programming double concertos written for Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson. This year’s pick? A Child’s Reliquary by Richard Danielpour. Our Masterworks finale this year, in May, will be one bombastic in-your-face piece that is more than OK in my book: Verdi Requiem. More later! I didn’t even really talk about what’s been happening on this tour. I suppose we are only one day in….

Wow, I just pumped myself up. I hope I did the same for you. After all, it is your Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Still yours after all these years (75, to be exact).

Some pics from day one:



This tree was exactly one half red, one half green.




I figured out I could nest my grapes in my truck steering wheel.
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Vermont Music Now Episode 9: Tim Woos and Josh Morris

David Ludwig recently completed his Music Alive! Residency with the VSO. We utilized his expertise and knack for teaching and enlightening budding musicians in a number of ways. Other organizations did the same, such as the Vermont MIDI Project. In this episode of Vermont Music Now, David chats with Tim Woos and Josh Morris, two gifted young composers involved with VT MIDI that David has mentored. The opening credit music is a piece by Tim called "Assembly Line" and the closing credits are accented with one of the short movements from Josh's piece "6x6x6," which was composed for the VSO. Watch the episode after the jump.

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Facebook Haiku contest winner

Do you have a Facebook account? Are you a fan of the VSO? We offer special discounts and fun contests paired with ticket giveaways to our Facebook fans. Become a fan today. Recently, we have been promoting our upcoming Made in Vermont music festival statewide tour. This past weekend, fans were charged with writing a haiku incorporating autumn and music. I chose one winner to be the recipient of four Made in Vermont concert tickets. Susan Smith-Hunter took the prize. Read her haiku after the jump.

Damp red leaves seek earth
Dark crickets scrape and fiddle
Chill comes with morning. Keep reading!

Program notes: Made in Vermont Music Festival

The Made in Vermont Music Festival statewide tour is less than a month away. I'm gearing up to trade in my 26-foot truck for a more maneuverable 14-foot model, the musicians are learning what ancient myths sound like when brought to life musically, our percussionist is practicing yoga (I hear the percussion parts require a bit of aerobic activity to execute), and high school students across the state are wondering what dinner with an orchestral musician will be like (our Green Room Program pairs musician mentors with students around the state for a behind-the-scenes concert experience). The tour schedule is listed in the right sidebar. Visit our website for more info about tickets. Read on for program notes for the concerts.

String Quartet No. 4 in C Major, KV 157
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

This string quartet has been arranged for string orchestra by Anthony Prnciotti. Composed while the teenaged Mozart was in Milan in 1773, the piece shows signs that the composer was simultaneously working on an opera (Lucio Silla). The first movement, for example, is full of parallel thirds and sixths in the violins, intervals common in vocal duets. On the other hand, the opening Allegro’s primary theme is based on ascending and descending scales, which is a more instrumental than vocal derivation. This bright but fairly gentle tune is graced with trills in the first violin part. The firsts and seconds “converse” antiphonally as a bridge to a singing melodic segment that begins with something resembling a bird call. All voices participate pretty equally in the development section, followed by the usual recapitulation of the beginning.

The Andante shifts to minor, and definitely evokes an opera aria, especially in the first violins’ plaintive line. The movement features rich and sometimes arrestingly modulating harmonies and a rocking rhythm which seems to presage the barcarole, a genre developed early in the following century.

The finale (there is no minuet in this particular quartet), is a brief Presto, a rollicking movement with lively syncopations and brief excursions into the minor mode. It concludes with a tiny, but stimulating coda, consisting of a crescendo (not yet a common technique) designed to bring Mozart’s surprised audience to its feet.

Mozart never tired of the string quartet. He wrote six of them during his early years in Vienna (ten or so years after K 157 was composed), and dedicated them to Haydn, the acknowledged master of the string quartet form. Haydn told Mozart’s father that Mozart was “the greatest composer known to me in person or by name.”


"Odzihozo and the Lake."
Derrik Jordan

Derrik wrote us recently to explain: "Since we are going back in history 400 years and celebrating the discovery of Lake Champlain by Samuel de Champlain, I decided to go even further back and celebrate the connection and stewardship of the lake by the original inhabitants, the Abenaki. I contacted some Abenaki people and did a little research and it turns out they have a beautiful creation story about Lake Champlain featuring a supernatural being called Odzihozo. The story goes that he made himself from the leftover dust that fell from the Creator's hands but forgot to make legs for himself and dragged himself around the land making mountains and gouging out rivers. He finally made Lake Champlain and thought it was so beautiful that he decided to stay there and watch over it always. He turned himself into a standing rock on a very small island just south of Burlington between Shelburne Point and Juniper Island that people now call Rock Dunder. It's still a very sacred and symbolic place for the Abenaki, and they sometimes go there to leave tobacco offerings and do ceremony."


Jeux d’enfants, Op. 22 (Children’s Games)
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

Georges Bizet is best known for his operatic masterpiece, Carmen. He died of a heart attack only a few months after its first performance, at the tender age of 36. Like others who died tragically young (Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert), he was an exceptional musical prodigy. Against all rules, he was admitted to the Paris Conservatory at the age of nine! Contemporary French composers who influenced his musical development to various degrees were Gounod, Delibes, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, and Offenbach.

Also known as the Petite Suite (Little Suite), this charming work is a slight but genuine masterpiece, filled with inventive vivacity, witty and urbane in the best French tradition. Despite its miniature nature, it has achieved great popularity. It was not performed until 1880, five years after Bizet’s death. Originally composed in 1871 as a set of twelve vignettes for two pianos, Bizet later orchestrated five of the numbers. The piece showcases Bizet’s natural gift for melody and a remarkable artistic confidence.

The perky first movement (“Marche”) is marked by crescendos and diminuendos, with brass calls and drum beats descriptive of the gradual approach and retreat of a troop of soldiers. The second movement, which is entitled “Berceuse” (Lullaby) and subtitled “La Poupée” (the Doll), is a sweet, gently rocking lullaby. Next comes “Impromptu” (subtitled “La Toupie,” or The Top), which maintains a spinning figure in the background of a scampering main theme. “Petit mari, petite femme” (Little husband, little wife), a slow movement just for strings, offers a contrasting emotional depth inspired by children playing at tender domesticity. This delightful suite comes to a close with “Galop” (subtitled “Le Bal,” or The Ball), an exuberant music-hall finale.

Jeux d’enfants has been re-orchestrated slightly by Alyssa Weinberg to comport with the VSO’s Made in Vermont orchestration.


Symphony No. 82 in C Major, “L’ours” (The Bear)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Portraits of composers are so often drawn in shades of gray: everywhere there is poverty, deprivation, physical and mental infirmity; brief lives of painfully unrecognized genius. The picture of Haydn, in contrast, is refreshingly pink-cheeked. Here was a man firmly comfortable with his rustic origins, and his music is a reflection of his sanguine character. In the words of Brockway, “Any one of his great symphonies is the man in small: one and all they breathe his sunny disposition, his wit, his sane and healthy love of life.”

In 1761 Haydn began his tenure as Kapellmeister to the Esterhazys, an employ which lasted almost 30 years. Isolated at the country Esterhazy estate, Haydn said of his situation, “I could make experiments, observe what produced an effect and what weakened it, and was thus in a position to improve, alter, make additions or omissions, and be as bold as I pleased. I was cut off from the world, there was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original.”

Toward the end of his service to the Esterhazys, Haydn’s contract freed him from the obligation to compose exclusively for the prince. An era of purposeful individual development was inaugurated with his acceptance of a commission from the Parisian concert organization “Les Concerts de la Loge Olympique” for six symphonies. Marie Antoinette and the ladies and gentlemen of the court of Versailles were frequent attendees at this fashionable concert series, but luckily for us, the popularity of the so-called Paris Symphonies outlived the ancien regime.

Vivace assai. The energetic first movement begins with a boldly soaring figure derived from the C-Major triad. A sudden hush, and the strings alone sing a pensive phrase. A brilliant outburst—almost like a military fanfare—follows, and then the opening passage is transformed into a delicate pizzicato for the violins, accompanied by woodwinds. The entire movement is filled with harmonic surprises (including some dissonance) and rich inspiration.

Allegretto. A two-part theme provides the foundation for what is technically a theme-and-variations movement, although the recurrent familiarity of the first part of the theme gives the impression of rondo form.

Menuetto. The opening of this movement is festive and ceremonial in a way that recalls the courtly origins of the minuet, but Haydn soon alters the character and color of the music, giving the traditional form his own unique stamp.

Finale: Vivace. The humorous drone featured in this movement prompted the symphony’s nickname, “The Bear.” A drone suggests bagpipes, and bagpipes were often used by street performers at country fairs, some of whom were handlers for dancing bears. It has also been observed that the repeated appoggiatura which punctuates the low drone might sound like a bear’s growl. The material is simple yet imaginative, and full of infectious high spirits.

--Hilary Hatch


Derrik Jordan

Living in southern Vermont and playing throughout the northeast, Derrik Jordan has sung national jingles, worked with many bands and has had his songs recorded by other artists, but what really excites him is writing, recording and performing his original music for people. “Creating live music is a sacred trust. That moment of ecstatic communion when performer and audience become one is one of life’s greatest experiences,” says Jordan.

As a recording artist, award-winning singer-songwriter and composer, multi-instrumentalist (electric violin, percussion, guitar and piano), producer and teacher, Jordan is used to wearing a lot of hats. “Brazilliance – Everyone Loves Brazil,” a 29 track double CD, showcases the best of his original sambas and bossa novas written in the classic and timeless Brazilian style. It contains a new recording of his song “Share Your Love,” first released by Angela Bofill in 1978 on her debut album for Arista Records.

“Expecting A Miracle,” an acoustic-pop-soul CD he co-produced with Tom “T-Bone” Wolk (Hall and Oates, Saturday Night Live Band), features top NYC musicians Marc Shulman and Ben Wittman on guitar and drums. “Speak Through Me” from the CD was awarded 1st place (Gospel-Inspirational) and 2nd place overall out of 32,000 songs in the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition, the world’s leading international song contest.

His CD “Touch The Earth,” an environmentally themed concept album, was produced by Jordan and he sings and plays most of the instruments on it. The songs are recorded in a variety of world music styles (reggae, afro-pop, samba, salsa and funk). “Something’s Gonna Change” from the CD won top honors as 2002 Reggae Song of the Year from Just Plain Folks, the world’s largest songwriter organization.

He has released two CDs under the name SuperString Theory (including 2007’s “SuperString Theory Goes To Senegal”), showcasing his 5-string electric violin in a variety of world fusion settings (African, Middle Eastern and Asian) with exotic instruments like hoddu, balafon, kora, didgeridoo and sitar and featuring award-winning NYC free jazz singer Lisa Sokolov and Ethiopian vocalist Helen Kerlin-Smith.

In 1992, Jordan made his national debut as a recording artist on “Right As Rain,” a CD benefiting the Rainforest Action Network that featured Jerry Garcia and Paul Winter. He has studied percussion with master drummer Milford Graves and composition with Henry Brant. In his journey to further develop his craft he has traveled to Brazil, Trinidad, Ghana and Senegal. He has produced jazz, folk, spoken word, Native American and award-winning children’s independent recordings for others. He performs in many bands including Tony Vacca and the World Rhythms Ensemble, Zabap!, Simba and Natural History. His first commissioned piece for string orchestra and percussion, "Four Unknowns" was performed by the Sage City Symphony in Bennington, VT on February 24, 2008. "Sky Mirror" a piece composed for shakuhachi, string quartet and electric guitar won the Shakuhachi Chamber Music International Prize 2008. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra has commissioned him to write a piece for their 2009 Made In Vermont Festival Tour, which will be performed in 10 venues around Vermont in September 2009.
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An interview with Made in Vermont commissioned composer Derrik Jordan

The Made in Vermont Music Festival tour is bringing something a little different on the road with it this year: a piece about the Abenaki myth of Odzihozo, and Abenaki descendants to tell the story before each performance. This year's Made in Vermont commissioned composer, Derrik Jordan of Putney (who describes his music as positive pop and globally-conscious soul), sits down with Alan Jordan to discuss his roots, the history of Lake Champlain, and Odzihozo.


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SymphonyKids Spotlight: Musical Petting Zoo

The VSO's SymphonyKids Educational Outreach Programs are varied. We present concerts in theatres for schoolchildren, organize in-school assembly visits, stage behind-the-scenes experiences for older students, and then there's my program, the Musical Petting Zoo. Yes, me, Rebecca Kopycinski, the keeper of this blog, the Technical Director of the Summer Festival Tour this summer (and many before), Ensemble Coordinator (need a quartet for a wedding?), concert program guide ad salesperson, and Zookeeper for the VSO's Musical Petting Zoo. I like to think I hold the most varied job description in the VSO office. The Zoo is different from our other SymphonyKids offerings in that it is a hands-on experience. With the help of a sterilizing agent and parent volunteers ("handlers"), every student in attendance is given the opportunity to hammer away on the snare drum and other percussion, exercise their lungs with three brass instruments, pluck the strings of a harp, toot the flute, and flex their muscles on the violin and cello. Keep reading to watch a video about the Musical Petting Zoo and our other SymphonyKids offerings.



To book the Musical Petting Zoo at your school (or your child's school, please e-mail Rebecca. You can find more information about the Musical Petting Zoo on our website. Keep reading!

Symphony Sampler, August 28, Newport

Symphony Sampler is a lakeside event in Newport offering music, dinner, and raffles, to benfit the VSO's activities in the North Country. The Dancing Sail will provide a gourmet buffet (cash bar), and there will be a multi-prize raffle. There are two grand prizes: an overnight at the Doubletree Hotel in Burlington plus tickets for the VSO’s October 24 Masterworks concert in Burlington; and a handmade “Symphony Sampler” quilt created by Carolyn Ferrara. In addition, an Adirondack chair with original artwork by Earl Whitmore will be auctioned off during the course of the evening.

Musical entertainment will be provided by “Harp & Soul” (VSO musicians Heidi Soons, harp, and Anne Janson, flute) as well as two local high school musicians: cellist Sylvia Woodmansee of Westfield and flutist Emily Wiggett of Barton. “Harp & Soul” will perform excerpts from their popular school program, and the young musicians will join them for selections by Vivaldi, Bach, and others.

Emily Wiggett, age 17, was born and raised on a dairy farm in Barton, Vermont. She enjoys exhibiting her registered Jersey cattle at local shows. She will be a senior at Lake Region Union High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society. She has studied flute and piccolo with Berta Frank of Jericho for the past four years. Emily is a member of the Vermont Youth Orchestra and will perform as a soloist with the Vermont Youth Philharmonia during the coming season.

Sylvia Woodmansee, age 16, lives in Westfield and attends North Country Union High School. She has been playing the cello for five years, and studies with Mary Lou Rylands in East Craftsbury. She also studies piano (equally seriously) with Paula Ennis in Stowe. Sylvia has participated in the All State Orchestra as well as various chamber music camps. Aside from music, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and gardening.

Carolyn Ferrara is a member of the VSO’s regional board of trustees (the North Country Friends of the VSO). She says “I was motivated to design and make this quilt after listening to a marvelous performance by the VSO. Without the composers who wove notes into glorious scores, there would be no VSO. Their genius created music that has endured through the ages. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra and its exceptionally talented musicians have continued to convey the rich heritage of these composers to the public’s appreciation and delight.” The quilt, which measures 55" x 66."

Earl Whitmore, Sr., is Case Manager at Eagle Eye Farms of West Burke, and also serves as the Jay Peak Ski Area Children’s Program Director. Michael Racine, Eagle Eye Farm Vocational Program Director, will assist with construction of the chair. The tradition of auctioning off a painted Adirondack chair began at last year’s Symphony Sampler event, where the “chair art” was created by Katy Kavanagh.

The cost for the event is $30 for adults; $25 for ages 13-17; $20 for under age 13. Attendance is limited. All proceeds go towards VSO concerts and educational programs in the North Country. Last season the VSO’s SymphonyKids programs reached over 2500 school children in 17 presentations serving 27 schools in 23 different communities in Orleans and Caledonia Counties.

Good music, good company, good food, and a good cause! To make a reservation or to get more information about “Symphony Sampler,” call 802-334-8110 or 1-800-876-9293 ext. 10. Keep reading!

The VSO Store is open for business!

Check out our newest selection of VSO merchandise, designed by me, Rebecca Kopycinski. Click here to visit the store. Keep reading!

Vermont Music Now Episode 8: Jorge Martin

Vermont Music Now is hosted by our New Music Advisor David Ludwig. When the series was filmed, David also served as Music Alive Composer-in-Residence. His guest in this installment is Jorge Martin, Vermont composer featured in our March 2009 Masterworks and Sunday Matinee concerts.

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Tech Talk: Now That It's Over

Hello, again, friends! This is your Technical Director, Rebecca, reporting on the now-complete Summer Festival Tour. I have to admit, I was shooting to post more than I did during the tour. What stopped me? Well, for one, getting wifi in the middle of a field in Vermont is not something one can count on (maybe I'll get an iPhone for next year?!). Secondly, I wasn't expecting to be so darn tired during this tour. Am I getting too old? I am almost 26, after all. More likely, it was the rainy days that sapped my energy. Despite my slacking during the tour, I wanted to write one last time before hanging up my walkie-talkie until next year (oh, how I miss those walkie-talkies!).

The goal in writing these blog posts was to shed some light on the immense manpower behind this tour, and the around-the-clock caravan of crews, musicians, and audiences that make it all happen. There are many, many people involved in this production. Let's start from the beginning:

6 a.m. Tent crew erects tent (and I'm still sleeping off the day before!)
9 a.m. Stage crew builds stage (John Miller ROCKED!)
12 p.m. VSO crew (pictured below, from left, Micah, Sean, me, and Emily) and sound and lights crew arrive

3 p.m. VSO Volunteer Coordinator (Ralph Thomas below, with light sabers and Christopher Jordan) and VSO box office staff (pictured below, Samantha Talbot and Mike Peluse) arrive


4 p.m. Volunteers arrive (pictured below are Karl Brosch, volunteer co-coordintor, with volunteer Pat Pranger), Don and Ellie arrive, our SUPER VOLUNTEERS staffing the merchandise table



5 p.m. Gates open, caterers arrive (on the good days, at least)
7:30 p.m. Concert! (Panoramic shot by Bill Jalbert)

c. 9:30 p.m. Fireworks! (Photo by Bill Jalbert)


Nine concerts over eleven days. Can't wait for next year. See all the photos from tour on our Facebook page.
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