Laguna enjoys a night to remember

BARBARA DIAMOND

Some occasions in life make such an impression that you wouldn’t have

wanted to be any other place on earth at that time.

Seeing the late Arthur Ashe win Wimbledon, walking down the

pyramid at Chitchen Itza, opening night at the Orange County Center

for Performing Arts and Carl St. Clair’s debut as Pacific Symphony

Orchestra conductor were such occasions for me.

The orchestra’s concert Saturday night at the Festival of Arts

grounds was another for me -- and I wasn’t alone.

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” former Arts Commissioner Carole

Reynolds said.

It was the first time the orchestra performed in Laguna Beach and

a first for Maestro St. Clair, who lives in Laguna with his wife

Susan, and their children, Siena and Cade. The event was one of many

planned to celebrate the symphony’s 25th anniversary.

“Having the symphony play in my own town is wonderful,” St. Clair

said. “It only took 15 years.”

Concert selections ranged from marches to an awesome collaboration

of orchestra and classical guitarist Adam del Monte on Rodigo’s

Concierto de Aranjuez.

The Adagio movement was outstanding, especially for an outdoor

venue: lush sound, perfectly synchronized with the soloist.

“Their timing was impeccable,” said Del Monte, whose twin sons,

Enosh and Shaul Koffler, were in the audience.

Ken Jillson, who was also in rehearsal for the AIDS Services

Foundation fundraising production this Saturday, performed a Gilbert

and Sullivan-type tongue-twisting patter to Vaughn-Williams’ Sea

Songs. Baritone Carver Cossey sang selections from Aaron Copland’s

“Old American Songs” and led the audience in sing-along renditions of

“God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful”

Marek Johnson Cantor, daughter of Janice and Roger Johnson, was

the mistress of ceremonies.

From the children’s pre-concert activities to the performance, it

was a night to remember, fulfilling the off-festival season potential

that everyone hoped for the grounds.

Sadly no City Council members and no festival board members were

there to see what good they had wrought when they finally hammered

out a lease agreement that recommended increased use of the grounds

in the off-Festival Season.

“This is what it should be,” said Carol Reynolds, also a former

arts commissioner and music teacher.

Reynolds and her daughter, jeweler Patti Jo Kiraly, were guest of

St. Clair, who taught music with Kiraly’s father at the University of

Michigan.

Reynolds, without an e, was particularly taken with the children’s

pre-concert activities.

Tim and Lisa Black’s youngsters Claire, 5, and Daniel, 6, made

instruments and prints and joined the drumming circle to earn stamps

on their “musical passport” toward a face painting.

“TOW [Top of the World Elementary School] sent home a flier with

the kids,” said Lisa Black, nee Ansell, a 1984 graduate of Laguna

Beach High School.

El Morro Elementary School and Class Act benefit from the

symphony’s award-winning Class Act musical program for children.

A highlight of the children’s activities was Maestro St. Clair’s

workshop.

The kids were handed straws to use as batons and instructed on how

to use them to let the orchestra know what to do.

“It is just precious,” David Kidd said.

About 50 children participated.

“I’m going to conduct when I get older,” said Matthew Hayes, 6,

son of Therese and Tim Hayes of Laguna Beach, who also brought along

son, Jeremy, 2 1/2.

He wasn’t much older when he got his first shot.

St. Clair called all the workshop participants, who ranged in age

from about 12 to about 2, up in front of the elevated stage to

“conduct” the orchestra in “Washington Post March.”

“Stand tall, no shoving,” St. Clair said, with the confidence that

he would be obeyed that comes only with experience in teaching or,

maybe and, creating an orchestra out of more than 80 individual

musicians.

The kids took a bow. St. Claire, the orchestra, the concert

sponsors and committee and festival staff also deserved to take bows.

William Gillespie, and Emerald Bay residents Joyce and Ron Hanson,

twice chair of the symphony board of trustees, and the symphony were

major underwriters for the concert.

“Thank you, one more time, Billy,” Al Roberts said.

Roberts chaired the Laguna Beach Concert Committee and helped to

underwrite the event, along with committee members Vesta Curry,

Valerie Imhof, Janice Johnson, also twice chair of the board, Britney

Weil and Jillson.

The committee raised all of the money for the concert -- estimated

to cost $40,000.

Symphony President John Forsyte said along with their 25th

anniversary, the orchestra something else to be proud of.

“We are [ranked] 25th out of 400 ensembles, the largest to be

founded in the last 30 years in the United States,” Forsyte said.

The success of the orchestra under St. Clair’s baton was brought

home Saturday.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949) 494-8979.