REVIEW POTPOURRI: Pop Artists

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Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates

How I started collecting records:

Gustav Mahler

My first encounter with the music of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) occurred during the spring of 1963, when I was 11. That year RCA Victor had developed the Dynagroove recording process, initially releasing 10 LPs with both mono and stereo editions, and touting the enhancement as the greatest advance in sound since the electrical microphone in 1924 during the 78 days. I remember salivating over the record ad in the Portland Sunday Telegram advertising the black label pop and red label classical items, wanting all of them and worrying about whether I would like the music later. In those days, I considered any LP from RCA Victor and Columbia as a status symbol, just as I did the huge Magnavox cabinet with radio, phonograph, and color TV and the Thunderbird convertible. I was definitely a crass materialist in those days – money was everything!

Meanwhile, RCA released a $1 album, entitled The Sound of Tomorrow, which was heavily advertised on Sunday night’s Wonderful World of Disney, RCA being its sponsor, but also in Buick ads, as RCA forged a deal with the auto company for its dealerships to be the exclusive venue for purchasing the record. Naturally, one afternoon, Mom drove me to Waterville’s own Buick dealer, then owned by a family friend, Nick Saporita, and located on Silver Street, and I took my copy home to play on the $32 manually operated RCA Victor stereo player. The machine was given to me as a birthday present but I was given to understand that it was the family player. Such double-dealing was then common as part of family sharing.

Side one had the black label, thereby providing the following five pop artists:

  1. Peter Nero, a most agreeable pianist who would sneak in quotes from classical pieces as part of his usual pop program.

    Peter Nero

  2. Marty Gold, a very gifted pop arranger/ con­­ductor who worked for both Victor and Kapp records.

    Marty Gold

  3. Hugo and Luigi, a duo of producers and arrangers for the Roulette and Victor labels, specializing in records of very pleasant chorus and orchestral selections.
  4. Dick Schory, a soft jazz arranger.

    Dick Schory

  5. Sid Ramin, a jazz arranger/ conductor with imagination and taste who helped Leonard Bernstein with orchestration during the Broadway run of West Side Story.
    The second side red label featured the following five fine artists:
  6. Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Boston Symphony in the second movement of the Mahler 1st Symphony. Finally, this joyous Scherzo was my first hearing of the music of a composer who previously had just been a slightly intriguing name in a Columbia Record Club booklet. Leinsdorf at that time was beginning what would be seven years as Boston’s Music Director.

    Erich Leinsdorf

  7. Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops. This orchestra would make many records featuring both pop and the classics while Fiedler had formidable talent, wide-ranging musical curiosity and taste and astute political and business skills.

    Arthur Fiedler

  8. Robert Shaw Chorale. Like Arthur Fiedler, Shaw was a very gifted orchestral conductor but his fame lay in the many records with his chorus and training choirs all over the world. His Christmas album from the late ‘40s, Joy to the World, is still available on CD and sounds great with its a capella singing.

    Robert Shaw

  9. Charles Munch with the Boston Symphony. Munch spent 13 very exciting years in Boston, made a lot of great records and retired in 1962, being replaced by Erich Leinsdorf.
  10. Leontyne Price was one of the finest sopranos who ever lived and possessed a voice with both power and beauty during her thankfully long prime, giving goosebumps to many, including myself.

My second Mahler record wouldn’t be added to my then very small collection for three years due to very limited cash and the distractions of other composers!

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of December 14, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

WALLS, I am thrilled that you talked to our faithful readers for December 7. Our apologies must be extended to faithful readers who sought us for a couple weeks, because we lost our power. Frankly. we surely know what our neighboring states have gone through. True, we didn’t have a hurricane, as they did, but we sure had wind! Well, faithful readers, WALLS will now catch you up on news that hasn’t been written yet.

Son Dean and his wife Donna will arrive just on December 14 and will leave to enjoy Christmas with most of our family in Washington state. On December 6, Danny drove to get his son, Landon, who celebrates his 20th birthday this month. Yes, WALLS, he now attends Culinary Arts College, after the horrible battle with Wilm’s Cancer at St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. No question that St. Jude’s was the place for Landon to be, as he even had schooling there, so that he would not lose all those seven years in the hospital.

Oh, back to Dean and Donna. Dean’s birthday is December 19, and we hope to celebrate it with him before he has to leave on December 17. Actually, Dean and Donna have done so much for the folks that their Bellingham, Washington, church has adopted, and they go to Haiti about three times a year. We hope to have a bit of a gathering for Dean’s birthday with our Channel-ll TV Manager John Harlow and host Chris Perkins, so that folks will hear about their work there, though we are well-aware that you faithful readers may not receive that BeeLine Channel. However, we spent a wonderful time with residents of the Redington Home, in Skowhegan, on December 4, when Barbie Demo joined us for Christmas Carols. Just imagine it, she and three friends left for the Holy Land on December 5!

Oh, yes, like you, faithful readers, we will be celebrating Christmas with good friends, when Van, Jen, Chris and Clare, owners of Alton Whittemore Real Estate, entertain us at Whit’s End Restaurant. Yup, faithful readers, for sure Christmas looks like a merry one, already!

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of December 14, 2017

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

Would like to inform all of you that the town meeting is coming up and that nomination papers are available at the Solon Town Office. The following positions are elected during the annual town meeting on March 3, 2018. Qualifying signatures must come from registered voters in the town of Solon. All nomination papers must be returned to the town clerk by the end of business day, January 3,2018.

Selectman/Assessor/Overseer of the Poor, 2018-2021 (3 years) vacant as of March 3, 2018 (current selectman not running for re-election). Road Commissioner 2018-2019 ( 1 year ) vacant as of March 3, 2018 ( current commissioner not running for re-election), town clerk/tax collector 2018-2021, school board member 2018-2021 ( 3 year term ). Please see the clerk during business hours to receive a nomination paper.

Direct Hire Opportunities: Public Works Laborer (with class B license) See Selectmen or Road Commissioner for application and more information.

Listing of candidates who have taken out a nomination paper for Election (to date). Selectman/Assessor of the Poor, Craig Gerry and Gaye Erskine. Town Clerk/Tax Collector, Leslie Robert Lindblom Sr.

Last night I got pretty upset when this machine failed to cooperate with me, and I called Peter to see if he could fix the problem! We made a date of 8 a.m., this morning, and he came down and performed one of his miracles, and now I am hurriedly typing this column! Really wanted all of you who read this column to know about the nomination papers being out, in case you should want to run for one of the positions listed above. Sorry, but this will be a short column because we have another engagement.

Received this note and a card from one of my un-none friends, back in November, 2015: “So sorry to hear about Percy. I will miss his words of wisdom, but I’m sure you will miss him much more. I am a cat lover and have had several very special cats so I understand what you are feeling. Know that he had a good life and was loved by people that never met him. Enjoy all of your wonderful memories. Margaret, A reader from Massachusetts. (I hope this friend who I have never met is still getting The Town Line, and enjoys Percy’s memoirs also.

And so for Percy’s memoir: “Laughing stirs up the blood, expands the chest, electrifies the nerves, clears away the cobwebs from the brain, and gives the whole system a cleansing rehabilitation. Anonymous.

INside the OUTside: Quarry Road celebrates opening day

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Quarry Road racers from Bowdoin College on the 4.8 Km Nordic course. Photo by Dan Cassidy

Dan CassidyINside the OUTside

by Dan Cassidy

Friends of Quarry Road, in Waterville, held its Opening Day Dedication of the Harold Alfond Snowmaking Center and Donor Recognition Sunday. Races for kids and men and women were held for Middle School races on 2.4 km, and all others over a 4.8 km course.

Several teams competed in Nordic race events that included Colby, Gould Academy, Bowdoin, Farmington Ski Club, University of Maine Farmington, and the Local Maine Ski Club. A group also came from Concord, New Hampshire.

The celebration was a way of thanking all of the people and organizations that helped make up the Quarry Road Trails.

Ski Free Days

The Quarry Road Trails are offering Community Ski Free Days. Save these dates, Saturday, January 16, Saturday, January 27 and Sunday, February 18, 2018. For additional information, e-mail quarryroad.org or call 207-680-4744.

After School Ski Programs

The Central Maine Ski Club is offering a learn to cross-country ski program to acquire ski skills, build fitness and have fun in the snow.

The program begins January 3 to February, 15, 2018, and will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For additional information log onto centralmaineskiclub.org or call 207-4467356.

It’s time to get out and play in the snow and enjoy the winter outdoors.

Obedience training never ends

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TRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOGTRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOG

by Carolyn Fuhrer

It is generally accepted that a skill that is not maintained will gradually diminish. It doesn’t matter if you are referring to a performance dog or a pet dog. If obedience skills that a dog has been taught are not practiced and a consistent requirement of performance adhered to, these skills will gradually diminish in accuracy and reliability.

We hope to have our dogs for a long time; somewhere between 10-15 years. During that time many things in our lives may change. People come in and out of our lives, we may move, get another pet, get a new job, take up a new hobby. So many things can affect our lives in 10-15 years. New situations, strange situations or stressful situations may cause your well-behaved dog to test the limitations of the rules. Don’t be surprised or upset. Simply realize your dog is asking a question, which is: do the same rules of behavior apply in this new situation?

As a good owner/leader, you need to be clear, patient and consistent with your answers.

Do not let simple skills slide because you feel they are not as important as the dog gets older. The dog will begin to perceive lack of leadership and this may lead to more and more problems, resulting in a very anxious dog.

Always requiring sensible behavior and good manners will give the dog a routine in which they can find safety and security.

There are many fun ways to maintain and enhance skills learned in puppy or obedience classes. Work towards a Canine Good Citizen title or a Therapy Dog certification. Join a beginners’ agility class where following basic commands such as “wait” and “come” are important foundation skills. Join an obedience rally class and brush up on skills and learn some new ones.

If you know you are going to experience a major change in your life or your household, see if you can plan on spending some quality time with your dog to reinforce those basic commands. It will make any transition easier.

Just as with humans, dogs will live a longer and happier life when they are less stressed and have activities they can enjoy and where they can use their minds as well as their physical skills.

Playgroups and longs walks are a great form of exercise, but don’t neglect your dog’s mind. Learning new skills together or reinforcing and enjoying old ones can many times rejuvenate an older dog and also help calm a young, energetic dog. Working one on one with your dog will deepen your understanding of one another and broaden your communication skills with another species.

So, why not give your dog and yourself a treat and join a class in agility, rally or obedience to learn some new skills and reinforce old ones. See you in class!

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 100 AKC titles with her Golden Retrievers, including 2 Champion Tracker titles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 25 years. You can contact her with questions, suggestions and ideas for her column by e-mailing carolyn@dogsatnorthstar.com.

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of December 14, 2017

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BUSY WITH THE CAMERA: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, was busy with his camera when he snapped these three photos recently.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Doves as a symbol of peace: what is the history?

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White dove

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

As we enter into the Christmas season, I notice a lot of Christmas cards and greetings with the picture of a dove as a symbol of peace on earth and goodwill to all men. Where did that all start? Why is the dove a symbol of peace?

Actually, there are several cultures that depict the dove as a bearer of peace and goodwill.

But before we get into some of the reasons the bird is viewed in that light, let’s look at some general facts about the bird. Doves belong to the Columbidae family, which is the same family as the pigeons. They have a round and stout body, short neck and beak. They are excellent navigators, which also makes them capable of delivering messages. Apart from these traits, they are extremely popular, and are often associated with strong emotions.

The Egyptians were the first to record doves used in ceremonies to announce, to the people, the rise of a new pharaoh.

Central Asia also has a legend about two kings heading to battle against each other. One of the kings called for his armor and is told a dove has made a nest in his helmet. The king’s mother pleads with him to leave the mother dove, a gentle bird associated with love, innocence, tenderness and purity, undisturbed.

The king agrees, and heads off to battle without his protection. The second king sees the king without armor and calls for a parley. Both kings lay down their weapons and talk. When the second king hears the first king’s story, he figures he has misjudged his enemy, whom he thought to be a tyrant. Both kings agree to peace. And the dove becomes known throughout the lands as a bird of peace.

It also had a place in Greek mythology. Aphrodite is always depicted with a dove because she brought love and beauty and peace. The dove was also the bird of Athena because it represented a renewal of life.

European superstition holds that the devil and witches can turn themselves into any bird shape except the dove.

In Japan, the dove with a sword is a symbol to announce the end of war.

Some Native American cultures believe that the deceased spirit takes the form of a dove.

In America, the most well known portrayal of the dove comes from the Bible. In the Old Testament a dove is released by Noah, following the Big Flood, in search of land. It returns with an olive branch to show the flood waters had receded.

The birds have developed into histories of cultures all around the world. The birds have always nested in areas close to developments and show a remarkable fearlessness of humans, possibly believing the humans will not harm them, even to the point of protecting them.

Doves are birds who mate for life and are extremely loyal to their mate. They raise their young with great care and dedication. They are harmless birds and feed on fruits, plants, and seeds.

Many religions associate the dove with peace. Christianity and the Bible describe doves as the symbol of peace and love. It is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, during the baptism of Jesus Christ.

Picasso’s lithograph, La Colombe (The Dove)

For centuries, artists have depicted the dove as a symbol of peace. The lithograph by Picasso-La Colombe, showing a dove with an olive branch in its beak, was chosen as the emblem of peace in 1949, for the World Peace Congress, in Paris. After this, the dove became very popular as a symbol of peace in the modern world.

The dove is truly a bird that has touched the human mind and heart. It has inspired mankind with its innocence and purity. It reminds people of the very basic traits to live a fruitful life-love and peace.

The next time you seem stressed, and you think the world is out to get you, just think of the dove, the symbol of tranquility and peace.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Since 2003, the New England Patriots have won 14 of 15 AFC East division titles. In what year did they not win the division?

Answer here.

I’m Just Curious: “Nana Daffy”

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by Debbie Walker

Recently, I referred to myself as “Nana Daffy.” I commented that I would tell that story at another time. TIME is here.

Have you ever been in a conversation about names with a little one?

It goes something like this: “Momma’s name is ….?., Daddy’s name is ….?” It was one of those discussions when I added “Nana’s name is …?”

Tristin reached that age first. When asked “what’s my name?” She answered “Nana Deffy.” I looked at my daughter and we both giggled. I remember quietly telling Deana that I thought I liked Deffy better than Debbie anyway. However, Tristin, it seems, heard us and that little rug rat called me Nana Deffy after that.

Then along comes Blake and when he hit “the” age he had other ideas about my name. I then became Nana Daffy and it has stuck for 23 years!

When my grandkids were in Day Care I would often pick them up. It wasn’t long before every little one there noticed when I came in. Just picture about 30 of these little cookie crunchers charging towards the door yelling, “Nana Daffy!!!”. It was a great way to start or end a day.

Christmas at School

This is my second school year as a foster grandparent. I just love it! I am working with a classroom of first and second graders. Last year we only had two weeks of Christmas. (I only volunteer two days a week) My teacher, Kathy, had me wait until mid-December to get into anything Christmas. Well, that’s not happening this year! I have warned/told her that Christmas starts Dec. 1! That’s the Friday before you get/got The Town Line paper.

I am wearing one of my wild Christmas sweaters, headband of antlers with flickering lights, Christmas jewelry and my story time that morning will be a Christmas story! Humpfree will have lights on his antlers until Christmas is over. And… my craft/art class time will certainly be another bit of annoyance to Kathy because it is bound to be more Christmas!

I have been rather chatty tonight; hope you don’t mind all this information.

Important Studies?

Just when you have pretty much heard about all you want to about wasting of money, along comes a humdinger! The only saving grace for this one is it has been done in another country. But wait – if it is being done in another country, you don’t suppose this country would waste money like that, too, do you?

Dogs sleeping skills are being recorded. It seems they (whoever that country was) are studying sleeping dogs. Isn’t there some kind of saying about “let sleeping dogs lie”? I only remember them saying dogs could learn in their sleep!!! Maybe I’ll try that myself, hopefully I will learn something interesting.

Okay, I know, enough of that stuff! As usual you can find me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. I’m just curious if you have nights like this when several things jump you in one day and you just have to have an opinion? I hope I helped you smile.

REVIEWS: Bandleader: Spike Jones; Composers: Telemann & Maurice Ravel

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Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates

How I Started Collecting Records, Part 7

As I slowly edged into liking classical music, via cartoons and storybook records, I remember Beethoven being the first composer to grab my attention, through two symphonies – the 5th and 6th, better known as the Pastoral. The great conductor, Bruno Walter (1876-1962), would be the first to give me the intensive exposure to both pieces. Mom owned a 78 set of Walter’s 1941 5th, a very satisfying performance full of conviction and spirit.

My Uncle Paul Cates owned an LP of the sublime Bruno Walter/Philadelphia 1946 Pastoral that he left at the family homestead along with a pile of other interesting disks while he lived in West Berlin for much of the ‘50s and ‘60s. I played that record many times while visiting Grammie Cates. My introductions to the beauties of the composer’s Emperor and Violin Concertos followed within the year.

Spike Jones

Spike Jones

Thank You, Music Lovers
RCA Victor, LPM-2224, recorded 1960.

A dozen of Jones’s wacky, weird 78s, featuring spoofs and putdowns of musical classics, such as Der Fuehrer’s Face, William Tell Overture , You Always Hurt the One You Love, My Old Flame, etc.; have been re-recorded in better sound and provide fun similar to Frank Zappa’s shenanigans from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Telemann

George Telemann

Concertos for Oboe, 2 Flutes and Orchestra; Suite for Recorder and Orchestra
Kurt List and Zlatko Topolski conducting the Austrian Tonkuen­stler Orchestra; various soloists; Musical Heritage Society, MHS 743, recorded 1967.

George Philip Telemann (1681-1767) was quite the prolific composer, much of his music, whether sacred or secular, very pleasurable. This assortment of works are the most beguiling listening experiences I have encountered in a very long time, and receive top notch performances. During his lifetime, he achieved far greater popularity than his friend, Bach.

Maurice Ravel

Bolero, Rhapsodie Espagnole, La Valse and Scheherazade Overture
Jean Martinon conducting the Orchestre de Paris; Angel, S-37147, recorded 1975.

Maurice Ravel

Most every recording of Jean Martinon (1911-1976) that has come my way has given enduring pleasure, whether Beethoven or the Rus­sian, Sergei Prokofiev. His career as the conductor of the Chicago Symphony after succeeding the phenomenally brilliant Fritz Reiner was cut short mainly by hostile music critics.

However, he returned to Paris and recorded a series of LPs devoted to the complete works of Debussy and Ravel that were superbly balanced, tasteful and yet musically alive examples of really great conducting. And the above record was every bit as fine as the others I have heard.

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of December 7, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Well, faithful readers and WALLS, do you agree with me that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

Yup, everywhere we read! The advertising hardly leaves time for viewing and reading and Black Friday and ‘whatever Monday’ has happened already. Now, bring on the parades and Christmas tree lightings and, then, Santa, if he’s not appeared and listened to all good little boys and girls (and sure, moms and dads, grandmas and granddads, too). Santa will be riding in parades, folks. Yup, he’ll be waving from even a firetruck!

WALLS, you told about my having a Story Hour at the Sudbury, Massachusetts, library, several years ago, and son, Craig, surely set kids straight as we drove back to the neighborhood. Yes, WALLS, you know that all the kids were talking about Santa’s being real, when Craig joined into the conversation and said “you don’t believe your folks bought all that good stuff, do you?” Well, you know full well, WALLS, that the library hour kids all agreed that their mom and dad wouldn’t! Case closed! There is a real Santa, but surely he does have helpers. Yup, the Elves are surely very busy right now.

Now, back to son, Craig. He caught Santa as he was filling the stockings for him, brother Russell and sister Lynn and his mom and dad in Towanda. Oh, Santa is real for sure!

Many thanks to those who are working on organizing parades and planning events. Don’t miss it all folks. Christmas is the loveliest time of the year! In fact, I believe someone wrote a song about it’s “being the most wonderful time of the year…” and hopefully, everyone’s most wonderful time of the year.