LMA: Welch Wows the Crowd Again
Dr. James Welch once again had something for everyone Friday night.
The world-renowned organist formerly at UCSB presented his fourth concert for the
Lompoc Music Association at our church on October 2 to an audience of 50 music lovers.
His program was entitled "Something for Everyone” and selections ranged from a
European medieval hymn through a Bach toccata and fugue to a rousing rendition of John
Philip Sousa's "Liberty Bell" march.
During the reception following the performance comments centered on his mastery of
technique. The dexterity of both hands and, in one piece, both feet, was quite literally
awesome.
--By Allie Kay Spaulding
LMA: Diemer Rocks
I don’t care for organ music so much,” said
well-known newspaper columnist Allie Kay
Spaulding on Monday. “But this woman plays
the organ like nobody I’ve ever heard. I was
thunderstruck.”
Emma Lou Diemer, retired Professor of Music at UCSB, made her fourth appearance at
Valley of the Flowers Church on Sunday, May 24.
The piece that most startled Spaulding was The Caller, a poem by Diemer’s sister, set to
music and sung by local vocalist Julie Tremblay.
“It was written in the language of the music of the Appalachians,” said Spaulding.
“There was an element of surprise with this sophisticated organist and this impudent,
raucous song. The gist of the poem was that this old lady was welcoming death. ‘I’m no
prize and you ain’t either,’ she drawled to Mr. Death.”
After intermission came Suite Sunday with four movements—praise, song, dance and
prayer. It was played as a duet by Ruth Lee on the piano and Diemer on the organ. “Ruth
was gorgeous,” said Spaulding. “Her fingers were so nimble and her runs just floated
along.”
Tremblay sang three songs by Diemer. One was “Create in Me a Clean Heart” from
Hebrews, followed by “Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman” from Proverbs 31. Then came
The Caller. “Wow, she has a remarkable voice,” Spaulding exclaimed.
The afternoon began with four variations on the Doxology (“Praise God from whom all
blessings flow”) with the first dedicated to Lee, and ended with a crashing Toccata and
Fugue by Diemer
“After the concert people hung around for a longggg time,” added Spaulding. “They
wanted to talk to her. “It was quite an afternoon. In its own way it was as much of a
home run as the Mike Pakaluk concert.”
Contacted Monday, Lee was still glowing. “Most of the things she played were loud,” she
said of the day’s star. “They used all the possibilities of the organ and people loved it.
Emma Lou Diemer rocks.”
LMA: Pakaluk Rules
Mike Pakaluk took the trumpet to new heights at the Lompoc Music Association concert
April 26.
“A classical trumpet concerto is something you don’t see a whole lot,” said Allie Kay
Spaulding, president of LMA. “To see the trumpet featured that way is rare.”
Pakaluk played Concerto in D Flat by J.B.G. Neruda and then Sonata for Trumpet and
Strings by Henry Purcell as his classical offerings, then turned to Charles Korf for La
Virgen de la Macarena and to Leonard Bernstein for A Simple Song and I Feel Pretty.
“This shows the trumpet’s feminine side,” Pakaluk explained of that last tune.
Then he invited two trombonists and two other trumpeters to join him. “In contrast to the
feminine piece this is a masculine piece,” he said by way of introduction..
The five then let go with a horn blast that could be heard from Lompoc to Andalucia.
“You could just see the bullfights,” laughed Spaulding. “It brought us to our feet.”
After intermission Pakaluk brought forward the Pakaluk Quartet for a jazz session which
included the Cabrillo High jazz band for several pieces. It thoroughly charmed the crowd
of 100.
“When we left for the social hall for goodies people were aglow,” Spaulding raved.