Outreach to the community has been a pivotal activity of the AMSF since its inception in 1988 by founder Matthew Harre. Over the years, members have consistently shared beautiful music with seniors in the community with the aim of uplifting their spirits. Our recital on December 6th at Asbury Kindley Assisted Living in Gaithersburg was particularly successful in accomplishing this, as we discovered while interacting with two residents who were former singers.
The recital began promptly at 2:30 p.m. with 24 residents seated in the large room near to the brown Baldwin Grand piano. On the program there were three pianists, a violinist, a flute/piano duet, and a seasonal singalong. Our first performer was violinist Stephanie Dailey, who showed up dressed for the season in a red “Santa” outfit. She added a touch of humor and was immediately dubbed “Mrs. Claus” for the rest of the afternoon.
Stephanie played three pieces. They were “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Wilson (1902–1984); A Christmas Medley of “Joy to the World,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Away in a Manger”; and “O Holy Night” by Adolphe Adam (1803–1856). It could not have been a more fitting opening. Stephanie created a beautiful atmosphere of Christmas cheer as her sweet violin filled the room with the notes of the familiar Carols.
Jodi Lipson played next. She selected the Adagio from Concerto No. 3 in D minor by Italian composer Allesandro Marcello (1673–1747) transcribed for piano by German Baroque composer J.S. Bach (1685–1750). Steven Spielberg used a version of Bach’s transcription of the Adagio for his 2022 film The Fabelmans. This piece is slow and it is peppered with mordents and trills. Jodi took it at the perfect tempo to highlight the beauty of the embellishments in the right-hand melody while the left hand sustained a steady supportive chordal beat.
Accompanied by Dale Dean on the piano, flutist Mary Lewers played Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14 by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943), and “Andalouse” by French composer Emile Pessard (1843–1917). These were two contrasting pieces. “Vocalise” refers to a musical piece or exercise sung on a single vowel like “ah” or “oo.” Mary’s fluent playing created a peaceful and soothing atmosphere. “Andalouse” on the other hand, sounded more like a tango in the beginning. It is a beautiful piece that captures the spirit of Andalusian music in the southernmost part of Spain. Though Pessard was a late 19th Century French composer, he liked Spanish music. Dale Dean provided admirable support in the piano accompaniment, and it was obvious that they were well-rehearsed.
Pianist Wayne Landsman followed with two 20th Century songs. They were “Girl from Ipanema” written in 1962 by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927–1994) with lyrics by Norman Gimbel (1927–2018), and “Guantanamera” written in 1929 by Joseito Fernandez (1908–1979) with lyrics from poems by Cuban hero Jose Marti (1853–1895). It means “The Woman from Guantanamo” and is a Cuban patriotic song. Wayne’s rhythmical playing was most enjoyable and had the residents tapping their feet and swaying in their seats.
The last pianist, Richard Zierdt, played Ballade No. 4 Op. 52 written in 1843 by Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810–1849). Given the haunting lyrical opening melody of this Ballade, one would never have guessed what was to come. The middle section evolved into a frenzied storm of fast loud chords and arpeggios that tested the technical skill of the pianist and took the piece to a grand ending. Richard rose to the occasion and handled all the constantly changing tempos and dynamics with practiced competence.
The recital ended with a seasonal singalong led by Carol Henry accompanied by Mary Lewers on the piano. Jodi and Stephanie distributed words to “Silent Night” written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr (1792–1848) and “O Come All Ye Faithful” written by John Francis Wade (1711–1786). It was a joy to hear the chorus of the residents’ voices as they sang these traditional Christmas Carols.
Two residents, Barbara Gesswein and Dedee Bazan, were particularly enamored with this recital because they had both been singers in their youth. Born in 1933, Barbara said that she had sung in the Washington Cathedral Choral Society for 25 years! And Dedee, born in 1940, said that she sang soprano in choirs for 75 years! After we took our group photo by the Christmas tree, both Barbara and Dedee were willing to pose for pictures with us. Interaction with the residents is always the highlight of our Outreach recitals.
