Lasting Impressions by T. Stephen Wager

A Holiday Feast with Fenimore Chamber Orchestra

Fenimore Chamber Orchestra gave its unofficial annual holiday concert on December 6 at Christ Church in Cooperstown before a near-capacity audience. The concert was presented in the usual fashion; that is, avowed masterpieces juxtaposed with superb musical works that could be considered masterpieces, but for whom time has, for various reasons, not been as kind.

One of the most beautiful works from the pen of J.S. Bach opened the concert; “Sheep May Safely Graze” from the Hunt Cantata, BWV 208. If the swift performance did not really convey “safely grazing” moments (this herd of sheep seemed as if they were making a mad dash to a rare sale at Bloomingdale’s), the striking beauty of the expected ensemble playing of the orchestra certainly made up for any lack of repose in the sheep.

One of the most beautiful discovery moments for this writer, and there seem to be many with this orchestra, was the Andante Moderato for String Orchestra adapted from the String Quartet No. 1 by Florence Price. That this composers’ complete oeuvre lay dormant for so many years is unfathomable! What a gorgeous and true work of genius! It was presented by everyone with joy and a palpable satisfaction that such a piece can now be restored to the active repertoire. Other works on the program by Bartók, Persichetti, Janiewicz and Weiner were also marvelous discoveries.

What linked all of this repertoire together was that they all originated from folk music. A brilliant conception and curating of a concert on the part of Maciej Żółtowski, who led the orchestra in its now very familiar brilliance. And to top it all off, was a lovely rendition, and a sing-a-long, of the famous “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson. The audience responded in kind; what a beautiful way to begin the holiday season!

T. Stephen Wager is a regular contributor to “The Freemans’ Journal” and “Hometown Oneonta.”