THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9407030228
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music review
SOURCE: By MARK MOBLEY, MUSIC CRITIC
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Band concerts are nostalgic by nature. But Saturday the Tidewater Winds harkened back to the days before climate control.
The band had planned to open its season at the Wells Theatre, but the air conditioning wasn't working. So the concert was moved to the Harrison Opera House. No luck there, either.
Workers were toiling to rebuild that system's compressor until minutes before showtime.
The house still filled to capacity, and the heat didn't wilt anyone's enthusiasm for conductor Sidney Berg's all-American program. Patrons waved their programs like fans. And the band was accompanied by the whispering of consonants as listeners softly sang along with old-time tunes.
The concert wasn't about technical polish. ``We had our first rehearsal today at three o'clock,'' Berg told the audience to laughter and applause. The skill level ranged from Virginia Symphony principals through military musicians to high-school students. Berg conducted by the seat of his pants, at one point gesturing angrily to some lost brass players.
But there were pleasant musical surprises.
Berg wrapped up the concert with the obligatory ``Stars And Stripes Forever,'' yet he also programmed a selection of lesser-known Sousa marches. ``Sound Off March'' was a gem with a winning countermelody and nifty syncopations.
As close to serious as the program got was Charles Ives' ``Variations on America'' and a ridiculous arrangement of ``Rhapsody in Blue'' without piano.
At the end, Berg proved to be an extremely confident showman. Though his audience was sweating, he gave them four encores.
They stood and cheered to thank him. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
Flutist Robert Trebbe of the Tidewater Winds watches the direction
of conductor Sidney Berg during a rehearsal at the Harrison Opera
House.
by CNB