Said Dottie Nadalski, baton winner of the Downey Symphonic Orchestra:

"I did not have butterflies, just full of energy and so anticipating doing the conducting correctly. It has taken me 2 days to come down from the high I was feeling that night! I will forever remember my night of conducting. Sharon was so gracious, and Carolyn so very helpful. I was taken aback by the positive comments by the people in the orchestra. I have never had so many positive comments in my life! The orchestra was amazing, and as I conducted I was smiling at all of them and they were smiling back. Such a wonderful experience!

"Sharon remarked that people in the orchestra told her I was the best guest conductor they ever had worked with. The evening was the best ever!"

A lively and generous crowd turned out for the April Downey Symphony Orchestra’s concert that featured the Three B’s of the music world, Bernstein, Bach, and the Baton Auction.

Make that a fourth B, Bernice. Bernice Mancibo Stumps, that is, longtime patron, for the second or was it third time won the prize. Concertmaster Carolyn Osborn, snappy in a black sequined jacket and steep high heels, was the auctioneer, and coaxed the audience up from $500 to a jump bid of $1,000 from a member of the orchestra’s string section. Then $2,000 came from a lady in red sitting in the very front row center. After that there were several calls of Going Once, but new bids kept topping the last.

Several people were determined to have the chance to conduct the orchestra, get a tutoring session with the Orchestra’s Maestro Sharon Lavery, and receive a picture of herself in action, as well as her very own baton to take home.  

Bernice persisted, and no one bid above her $4,200. The money goes to support the orchestra, and probably, as she has done before, Bernice will name a budding young musician to take the honors and do the conducting next year.

Neither a heat wave nor Covid can keep lovers of classical music away when the Downey Symphony Orchestra performs. Seen in the audience in the lobby before the show were Hop Morrison, whose wife Karol was a staunch Board member for years, and Adele Alexander Ambruso. Glenn Stephens is making plans for the 2022 Glennfest of Niche Interest Independent Films for this coming October, and he wore a shirt decorated with blue musical notes, large and small. 

Larry and Marge Lewis appeared, and Don Marshall, both former presidents of the DSS, Don with his daughter. Don said how glad he was to see the Downey community coming together again.

Board members Joyce Sherwin, in a moss green ensemble, who supervises the production of the concert, and JoAnne Gronley, behind the table where the printed programs lay waiting, were there early, as were Katie and Bill Hare. Katie also had a catchy beige linen jacket with black notes printed over it.

Roy Beard came, and Christina del la Torre with her daughter Eleanor, and Pat Gil, who sees that the artwork for the posters is delivered on time. 

Anthony Crespo, president of the Downey Symphonic Society, wore a cream colored jacket with black trousers to welcome the guests at the start of the concert. He introduced Alistair Hunter who thanked the DSS for many years of collaboration with the Downey Arts Coalition, and then Alistair read the names of the participating artists in the Theatre’s galleries, “Unleashed.” Artist Carolina Estrada del Toro showed several color photographs where she said she was “Playing with water, oil and light.”

Anthony then gave special recognition from the stage to longtime secretary of the Symphonic Society Board Ruth Hillecke, who was seated in the audience. DSS Vice President Eric Pierce brought a cheerful pink azalea plant to the front of the stage, to show how Ruth is appreciated by her fellows on the board.

In her opening remarks, Conductor Sharon also gave “thanks from my heart” to Ruth for the many ways she has helped build the Symphony, including the Norbert and Ruth Hillecke Foundation’s matching grant on  behalf of the DSS’s outreach program, Music in the Schools. The printed program gave details, as well as a tribute to the late Gloria Crum, also a treasured board member.

Dottie Nadolski, smart in a black pants suit, conducted the opening number, “Simple Gifts.” Dottie set the record bid with $3,500 two years ago. In gratitude for her generosity, the entire orchestra stood in tribute to Dottie, who smiled and bowed and waved to the audience after admirably conducting her piece. Conductor Sharon then took over the baton and led the ensemble in a rousing version of Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide.”.

Bach’s Concerto for Harpsichord in D Minor was performed by the string section, and the part of the 17th century harpsichord was taken by two contemporary marimbas, an instrument played not with nimble fingers but soft-tipped wands wielded by two young percussionists who knew their way around the seven-foot long instruments, the largest in the mallet family. The marimbas, each made of different exotic woods, were works of art in themselves, and were moved to from the side stages to enter stage for the performance..

The solo passages were as loud and clear as they would have been on the harpsichord, a forerunner of the piano, on which this piece is usually performed today. The transition to modern times was delightful to hear. The audience applauded vigorously after each movement, and gave the soloists, Soojin Kang and David Riccobono, a standing ovation.

At intermission, Dorothy Pemberton, Carol and Frank Kearns, were seen, enjoying the evening. Alistair and his wife, Barbara, said they recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. Jorge Montero congratulated President Anthony on the concert. Masks were optional, and while several of the audience wore them, most of the orchestra chose to take this optional precaution while on stage.

After the exhilarating auction that opened the second part of the evening, Music Director Sharon chose to continue on a high note with Open World from Captain Marvel, a piece where all the timpani and drums were kept busy.  Composer Pinar Toprak was the first woman to write the score for a top-grossing action figure movie.

The major piece of the evening, Leonard Bernstein’s Orchestral Arrangement of Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, used a full orchestra and an usually large percussion section, seven, if you count the gilded and carved harp and the set of three gleaming copper timpani, or kettle drums. Also, the big bass drum, bells, wooden block, a sort of xylophone, big brassy cymbals, and the snapping fingers of the entire orchestra when the teen-age New York gangs begin to rumble. 

Bernstein used every musical genre, from fugue to mambo, in this piece, built around the haunting three notes of the song Maria.  It ended solemnly with constant funereal beats on the kettle drums, for Shakespeare’s tragic love story of Romeo and his Juliet.

To send us home in a lighter mood, Music Director Sharon chose Charles Ives’s “Variations on America.” After establishing the melody of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” the orchestra swung into moods that could be called sweet, then stately, bouncy, bandstand, syncopated, majestic, and spritely.

By the end of the evening everyone was on their feet, clapping. As Maestro Sharon said, “We are all so glad you are here to support us, tonight.” And did we ever. Sharon and the Orchestra have Downey’s deep affection.

The final performance of the subscription season will be in five weeks, May 7. Beethoven’s Triple Concerto will be featured, and there was talk of a punch and cupcake reception for the audience and musicians to mingle afterward. Watch this space for details.