by Dr. Vincent Patterson
Glorious autumn day here in DC. The weekend cooperated; on Saturday trekked across town to PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE (on the campus of Armed Forces Retirement Home) for Open House. It celebrated 150 years of Lincoln’s presence there with 19th-century food tents, Civil War enactment with “Union Soldiers,” tents, artifacts and storytelling, DC’s Jubilee Singers and other small music groups of the era. Delightful time, well attended. ———————————- One of DC’s musical icons has passed: our friend and colleague Fred Begun was Nat’l Sym Orch. timpanist for 48 years. He was 84. Came to the NSO in 1951 straight from Juilliard w/ a percussion degree and jazzer’s energy. Freddie was ignited by drummer Gene Krupa and “Channeled that jaunty showmanship into his symphonic career,” written in today’s Wash. Post obit. “His earliest ambitions were in jazz… he was frequently described as a dancer behind the drums (timpani). He also favored the hepcat jive talk… often ending sentences with ‘baby’.” “He said the hardest pieces to play required the discipline to create almost no sound on the kettledrums and still provide essential girding for a symphonic work.” Freddie liked to quip, “The timpani are used at very strategic moments to keep the audience awake.” Au revoir, man, we’ll miss you. ———————————- Yours Truly is singing in a pick-up chorus of pro and semi-pro vocalists of 40. It’s called the “Advent Project,” led by Mr. perfect pitch, Richard Allen Roe “Rick” and slated for a matinee concert on Nov. 11 at the large Our Lady of Good Counsel, Vienna, VA. Repertoire: Bach, “Komm, Jesu komm,” Pizzetti’s Requiem and Howells’ Requiem. Challenging double and triple-choir scored music, the Howells especially a tonal excursion into double-key harmonies; whew! Tunes are on You Tube if this music interests you. Sunday evening rehs. in Vienna after a morning of church singing works well on warmed-up pipes. Been awhile since I’ve performed with vocalists of this ability so it’s rewarding to be back at it. Refreshing, too, working with a choral guy who does NOT use the piano crutch to teach notes and sing other than pure intervals and chords; heard a perfect Perfect Fifth lately? This group does it – what a Gas!! Look for concert program in Nov. Let’s see . . . maybe this group would enjoy singing the Howells in Westminster . . . hhmmmm . . . 🙂 ——————————— Right. So back to the day’s TO DO stack. Hope yours is manageable and wish you a terrific week!