Concert Preview
by Dr. Catherine Godes
October 14, 2:00 p.m.
Bryan Fine Arts Building, Room 223

Ms. Besser is a free-lance violist and studio musician in Nashville and plays with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. She is an instructor at Belmont University. Prior to coming to Nashville, Ms. Besser played with the Alabama Symphony, the Victoria Symphony (British Columbia), and the Louisville Orchestra. She holds degrees for the University of Louisville and Belmont University.

The Godes will again appear as a duo in the beloved Rachmaninoff Suite. The recital, which is free, will be held in Wattenbarger Auditorium of the Bryan Fine Arts Building at 8:00 p.m. The public is invited.

THE CONDUCTOR'S NOTES

With these catch phrases Michael Feldman opens his weekly radio broadcast on NPR. And as I listen, it often strikes me that this is an answer we should all be professing. How much do we actually know???

While I was in San Antonio I got involved with the local NPR affiliate as a broadcaster on a classical music station. Each week I had to program and present 12 hours of music. It's amazing how quickly you exhaust the standard repertoire with that amount of music. So I went on a quest to present music that had not been played for at least a year or had never been played on the air, and what an incredible amount of really great music there is!!! I'm not talking here about presenting wacky or "way out" music. No - I played things like the symphonies of Adelbert Gyrowetz - a contemporary and friend of Beethoven (funny how we never think of old Ludwig having friends!). His music is excellent, but his contemporary simply overshadowed him.

As we have all heard many times, "Knowledge is power." The more we know, the more we have the enjoyment of finding out even more. So let's turn the question to "What MUSIC d'ya know?" Even I would have to stick to the stock answer: "Not much. You?"

Our opening concert of the season was an outstanding success. It was such a joy to present great music to you - a most appreciative and responsive audience. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we on stage did. I can only say that the reaction I got from everyone was very positive - especially in talking about Malcolm Arnold's "Peterloo".

Now there's a case in point where a little understanding of the music goes a long way to truly appreciating the work. In our upcoming concerts we have a good mix of pieces that are well known and familiar, and pieces which may not be so familiar. Prior to each concert we have a series of activities to help you gain greater knowledge of the music and the background to the pieces, etc. I cannot encourage you enough to be a part of these, since sharing the music from the stage is only ONE part of my joy in the profession. The other is sharing the stories, the background, the history, the musical context and the more unusual tidbits of info with everyone.

Tidbits? Well did youknow that Eric Satie was such an egotist that he once had a sign hung on the curtain of the opera house where he was presenting a new opera which read "Eric Satie is the greatest composer of all time. Anyone who disagrees should leave now."

... So, "What d'ya know"? - Brendan Townsend

A Message from the Association

The next round of events starts with the Preview Luncheon being held in Crossville. Please take note of the day, time and location change for this luncheon. The new day is Wednesday, November 14 at 1:00 p.m., and the new location is Boston's Restaurant in Crossville. Reservations for Cookeville residents can be made by calling the Symphony office, and for Crossville residents by calling (931) 707-9728 or (931) 277-3214.

The next Symphony Social is sponsored by Budweiser of Cookeville and will be held at the wonderful home of Dr. Sam and Sheila Barnes, located at 1301 Holladay rd. on Friday, November 16. This Social will offer the delicious food of Grada Casey and Grade-A Catering. We have some great auction items planned that will give you an opportunity to show your support of the BSO.

One item we are most excited about is a dinner for eight and a concert. Just in time for Valentine's Day, our very own concertmaster, Elisabeth Small, and pianist Robert Marler will perform a small, private, romantic concert in your home. To make the evening complete, Grade-A Catering will prepare a gourmet dinner. This will be an extra-special night to be remembered for years by the lucky group who makes the highest bid.

If you have not had an opportunity to join the Association yet this year, it's not too late, as memberships are good for a year (from the beginning of each concert season to the next), and your membership affords you some wonderful benefits. For more about becoming an Association member, call the Symphony office at 372-6088, or Jan Tate (372-8616) or Brenda Smith (528- 5253). And don't forget to volunteer your talents so that we may be able to keep all these wonderful activities going . . . we're looking forward to hearing from you!

Jan Tate and Brenda Smith
Co-Chairs
Bryan Symphony Orchestra Association

Francis Elliott, Violin Recital November 19 at 8:00 p.m. Wattenbarger Auditorium

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Bryan Symphony Orchestra
Office: Room 355 372-6088
Bryan Fine Arts Building
e-mail address: bryansymphony@tntech.edu
Gail Luna, Executive Director and Co-editor of Notes and Notices

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