A Blast in New Hampshire
September 5th, 2012 | 
Author: For 17 years, my wife Marsha and I spent our summers in the lakes district of New Hampshire where I was the Music Director of the New Hampshire Music Festival. We'd load up our Subaru–dogs, cats and all and head up to the woods where the combination of natural beauty, making music with good friends and renewing relationships couldn't be beat.
In 2009, I resigned as Music Director and much to my delight, the Board of Directors recently asked me to be the festival's Conductor Laureate. Now our futures are linked in a permanent way.
This past summer I conducted the first half of the Festival season as part of its 60th Anniversary celebration. It was like no time had elapsed since I was last there. The orchestra, which is made up of very talented musicians from all over the country played their hearts out and there was such an outpouring of good feeling.
There were many musical highlights but I'll mention just one–Lukas Foss's "American Landscapes" with guitarist, Jason Vieaux. Lukas was my "boss" when I was the Associate Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony years ago. He was such a talented and marvelous man and it felt so good to conduct his music and re-connect with him through his witty, naughty and clever music. This piece is dynamite and Jason was the perfect soloist, solid, creative and dynamic.
Long live the New Hampshire Music Festival!
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It takes a while for my freebie website to open up, but yours is a smash! Thanks for directing me to it.
Interesting that Robert Moody who is also conductor of the Winston-Salem Symphony is also at Portland Symphony. We lived in Winston-Salem in the Seventies when Ev was fundraising for Salem College and Old Salem, Inc. and knew the then maestro, Peter Perret. Even now, I direct people to Peter Perret's book with Janet Fox: "A Well-Tempered Mind." I have not read the book, but it is enough to read the review at http://www.cvnc.org my former employer in North Carolina where you will find both of us have author pages although I am no longer there, but my writing is archived.
…And that you, from my NH Lakes Region area of my childhood and the New Hampton years, that include NHMF chorusshould have a connection with the Portland Symphony. I hope they will invite you to guest conduct again in the near future while I am still able to travel. I am driving, and usually find a handicapped spot near the entrance to Merrill Auditorium when I do arrange to go. Then I make my entrance with Nordic walking poles instead of a cane.
And finally, your editor for wordpress plugin reminds me of the story that a prominent Boston department store refused to monogram luncheon napkins for the First Unitarian Church of Kennebunk. Any chance you might want to change that?