The Chappaqua Orchestra cordially invites you to “jump into the river”

Friday, November 4, 2011
by Marjorie Perlin

The river of Mark Twain’s domain, that is. Immerse yourself in a book; get swept away by a story; plunge into the words, sights and sounds that make up Mark Twain’s writings, his life and his times. “Sounds” is where The Chappaqua Orchestra comes in. In collaboration with the Chappaqua Library as part of its month-long celebration of the man and his work, The Chappaqua Orchestra is proud to present Music and the River: a Musical Tribute to Mark Twain on Saturday, November 5 at the Chappaqua Library Auditorium starting at 8:00 p.m.

The mighty Mississippi provides inspiration to the program

Twain’s greatest muse, the mighty Mississippi, will provide the inspiration for most of the musical selections. To underscore America’s beautiful yet tumultuous history with this river, the evening will begin with a screening of the Depression era film “The River.” This film, with its depiction of the “fortune verses flood” cycle of the Mississippi River Valley, is still relevant today. The score for this film was composed by Virgil Thompson and will be performed live, simultaneously with the film, by The Chappaqua Orchestra conducted by Michael Shapiro, with live narration provided by William Gerrard.

William Gerrard is known locally as “the voice.”  A 2001 Greeley graduate and son of Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, William read the morning announcements over the loudspeaker for three of his four years at Greeley.  He received his BA in English from Columbia University and is currently working toward his MFA in Film Directing at Columbia’s School of the Arts. He is often called upon to lend his voice as emcee, as a voiceover for films and for public readings.

Other rivers in Twain’s life

Many rivers ran through Twain’s life.  At his summer home in Elmira, NY, Mark Twain wrote while overlooking the Chemung River. While he lived in Connecticut, Twain met the composer Charles Ives through Ives’ father-in-law, the Reverend Joseph Twichell. In honor of this relationship, and in keeping with all things river, The Chappaqua Orchestra will also perform Charles Ives’ gorgeous tone poem “The Housatonic at Stockbridge.”

A concert about American rivers and the life of Mark Twain would flow nowhere without a few selections from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Show Boat.” Get a musical taste of life on the Mississippi when The Chappaqua Orchestra, soprano Deborah Horne and bass baritone John Dominick III perform “Bill,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” and of course, “Ol’ Man River.”

Deborah Horne is a local favorite who has performed several concerts with the Chappaqua Chamber Series.  She appeared with The Chappaqua Orchestra last season when she performed “Ride on King Jesus” at the annual Community Sing. Ms. Horne is a frequent guest soloist in the Hudson Valley and the New York metropolitan area.

John Dominick III is frequently engaged as a soloist, including appearances at Carnegie Hall. He has made numerous concert appearances in the United States and Germany, including the role of Joe in Kern’s “Show Boat” with the Natchez Opera Festival.

The Chappaqua Orchestra is a professional level ensemble ranging in size from fifteen to seventy or more players. Working with notable artists such as Ruth Laredo, Eugenia Zukerman, Andrew Litton, and more recently, Edward Arron and Tim Fain, The Chappaqua Orchestra has performed music for Westchester audiences for over fifty years. Now under the baton of Michael Shapiro, the orchestra plays diverse and challenging programs, emphasizing thematic context and community ties.

Help us make a splash on November 5 as we celebrate the music of Twain’s domain. For more information visit www.chappaquaorchestra.org.

Music and the River: A Musical Tribute to Mark Twain
Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Chappaqua Library Auditorium
Free, donations accepted