KELSEYVILLE — Some 120 members and supporters of Clear Lake Performing Arts (CLPA), the group that helps to sponsor music activities in Lake County, attended the organization”s 32nd annual meeting on Sept. 13 at the Presbyterian Church in Kelseyville. They were rewarded with two outstanding musical presentations and a mercifully-short business session.
The first item on the agenda was a sparkling concert by the Chamber Group of the Lake County Symphony under the direction of John Parkinson. The 18 members of the orchestra drew standing applause with a half-hour program of greatly abbreviated light classical pieces, punctuated with explanatory comments by Parkinson who, in his 29 years at the helm,.has built one of the finest symphonies in the area
The program opened with a familiar audience favorite Mozart”s “Serenade No. 2″ and continued with Baccherini”s “Menuet du Quintet” after which Parkinson swapped his baton for a keyboard in order to join the music makers in playing Tchaikovsky”s “Sleeping Beauty Waltz” and the overture from Strauss” “Der Fledermaus.” Other selections included Borodin”s “Polynesian Dance” — better known under its pop title “Strangers in Paradise” — and von Weber”s “Invitation to the Dance,” followed by the theme from Rimsky-Korsakov”s “Scheherezade” and concluding with the frenetic tempos of “Dance of the Comedians” by Smetana.
The only order of business conducted at the meeting was the election by acclamation of the Board of Directors for 2009-2010. They are Paul Brewer, president; Connel Murray, first vice president; Ed Bublitz, second vice president; Sandy Ross, secretary; and Lyn Dodson, treasurer.
During dinner, prepared by chef Ed Bublitz and served by members of the CLPA Auxiliary, down-home entertainment was provided by the Konocti Fiddle Club, led by Andi Skelton, normally first violinist and concert mistress for the symphony, who shifted into fiddle mode for a rousing program of country, bluegrass and Appalachian music. Along with favorites such as “Oh, Susannah” and “Shortni”n Bread” they won acclaim with a high voltage rendition of “The Gypsy” and, in keeping with the history and spirit of the song, added washboard, accordion and gut-bucket for a grand finale presentation of “Cajun Blues.”
They demonstrated amply why they were standouts at the Old Time Bluegrass Festival, held Sept. 12 at Anderson Marsh.
Members of the CLPA Auxiliary then took the opportunity to present the board of the parent organization with a check in the amount of $7,000 generated from their various fund-raising activities including yard sales, raffles and auctions and also the annual Lake County Home Wine Makers Festival, which is sponsored by CLPA.
The next CLPA concert will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 when classical guitarist David Burgess performs at the Galilee Lutheran Church in Kelseyville. At 3 p.m. Nov. 23, the full symphony will appear at the Marge Alakszay Center at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport. Tickets for both concerts are $20 for general admission and $15 for CLPA members. Youths younger than 18 are admitted free.
