By Lorraine Lucciola, Standard-Times correspondent
July 8, 2001
The Buzzards Bay Musicfest celebrates its fifth annual classical concert series, Wednesday through Sunday evenings, at the Fireman Performing Arts Center in Marion.
As in past years, the event is free of charge. Private donations from individuals in the community have kept the Musicfest afloat from its inception. It all began at a cocktail party in Marion five years ago with talk of creating a classical music event, featuring the talents of locally and nationally prominent musicians.
"A neighbor originally from Kansas City knew Maestro Russell Patterson (formerly of the Kansas City Orchestra and Lyric Opera), who just happened at the time to be looking for such a project," recalls Trudy Kingery, president of the Buzzards Bay Musicfest and former president of the Marion Arts Center.
Ms. Kingery readily confesses that she "has no musical ability whatsoever" but draws great pleasure from the mounting success of the Musicfest.
"This year I think we'll get full houses," she predicts. "People who never heard or enjoyed classical music suddenly liked chamber music, which is less in demand. They said, 'I never knew this was so good!'" Last year the Musicfest drew 2,000 people in four nights.
Renowned musicians from across the United States have traveled to Marion each year to participate in this special musical experience.
"About half of the musicians from last year are returning this year from California, Kansas, Pennsylvania and other places," says Ms. Kingery.
Judith Sudduth assists the Musicfest as a publicity volunteer. Ms. Sudduth is originally from the Mid-West. One of her friends in Marion, where she now resides, called upon Ms. Sudduth to utilize her sharp marketing skills to formally promote the festival.
"Where else could you attend a different concert each night with classical music by the sea?" she asks.
"There is an interesting human touch to this. Musicians enjoy coming back year after year. They look forward to being hosted by families in the local area. For them (the musicians), it's a bit of a vacation. Families plan activities around their guests; they develop warm relationships with the musicians," she adds.
Local flutist Wendy Rolfe is prominently featured in this year's program. Ms. Rolfe arrived in the United States from England at the age of 2 and grew up in Boston.
"I was 8 years old when I started to play the flute and then, the piccolo. My parents and grandparents were musicians," she says. Her early repertoire included solfeggio (accompaniment to vocal scales), folk songs and duets.
Ms. Rolfe, who teaches at the Berklee College of Music, plays four or five different kinds of flutes that are particular to the styles of baroque, classical, avant-garde and jazz. "My favorite music is whatever I'm playing at the moment," she notes.
Orchestral and chamber music concerts will feature popular compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Brahms and Mendelssohn.
The first orchestral concert will take place Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, Grieg's "The Last Spring" and Haydn's Symphony No. 4 ("London") will be offered.
The second orchestral concert will be given at 2 p.m. Sunday, with performances of Beethoven's Triple Concerto, Opus 56; Glazunov's Serenade No. 2, Opus 11; and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 ("Italian").
Chamber music concerts will be offered on Thursday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. The Thursday night concert will feature Beethoven's "Serenade in D" for flute, violin and viola; Turina's Piano Quartet in A minor and Brahms' Trio in B major, Opus 8.
Saturday night's performance will include Beethoven's Octet for Winds, Opus 103; Weber's Trio in G minor, Opus 63; Bernstein's "West Side Story" for String Quartet; Mozart's Sextet "Eine Musikalisher Spass."
The planners of Musicfest have included something new in their program this year. It provides a unique answer to the question, "What do we do with the kids?"
A special rehearsal/performance is open to children and their parents on Wednesday afternoon at 2. Youngsters will have an opportunity to watch the rehearsal and talk to the musicians and Maestro Patterson afterwards.
"Musicfest is such a wonderful event for the area. It brings nationally prominent musicians into southeastern Massachusetts to perform classical music, free of charge and available to all," says Ms. Sudduth.
The fifth annual Buzzards Bay Musicfest will be held at the Fireman Performing Arts Center at Tabor Academy, 235 Front St., Marion, Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free. For information, call (508) 747-0917 or (508) 748-1266, the Marion Arts Center, whose volunteers are hosting the concerts.