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Imperial Brass seen from  the “bleachers” of the Great Auditorium. Paul Goldfinger photos. 7/4/24. Blogfinger.net. Click this and other photos with one click.

The Imperial Brass fill the Auditorium with glorious music. Paul Goldfinger photograph. 7/4/24. Ocean Grove, NJ

By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor, Blogfinger.net.  7/4/24. Ocean Grove, NJ, USA.

I was expecting a thoroughly professional and wonderful performance by the Imperial Brass, and that is what we received tonight in the  Great Auditorium.  I think the brass ensemble enjoyed  performing here as much as we enjoyed having them.

This is not their first rodeo in the Grove, so we knew what was coming, and we were not disappointed.  Thanks to Gordon Turk who each summer brings  his “Summer Stars” which is always first rate.

How many small towns in America can have a perfect musical event such as this?  We are unique in many ways,  but this is really special .

I have attended many concerts in this great hall, but this is one of those rare musical events  where the fortissimo moments  of the “Brass” seemed at times like it might actually overwhelm the glorious acoustics and fulness of the Great Auditorium.

But it did not, and the music, while quiet as a whisper at times, roared with beautiful crescendos as it filled the hall from corner to corner to rafters  and out the doors with magnificent music.   And it was really special when they were joined by Gordon Turk on the Hope-Jones organ  WOW!

The doors were open, and many of the tenters and others were outside to enjoy this event en plain air.

My guess is that about 300-400 people were present in the audience.  I know I sound like a broken record on this issue, by why not invite high school and college musicians to fill those empty seats?

I feel  in my heart that this Imperial Brass music should be shared in the “Great”  Auditorium with a much larger audience.

The program was varied, and there were a number of patriotic pieces.  Some of the selections were absolutely gorgeous, and  some were very difficult to perform, but they were done magnificently.

And you should know that this Auditorium has featured  performances by two of the most famous trumpet players in the world.

We have had, of course, Phillip  Smith of  Ocean Grove and the NY Philharmonic, but tonight we were treated to the incredible (I am running out of adjectives) musicianship of cornetist  Mark Ridenour, Chicago Symphony Orchestra,  who soloed on a few selections,  and what a sound on his instrument!

I wish the craftsmen  who built  this structure over 100 years ago  in 90 days could have been sitting with me in the back to hear what they accomplished.

And thank you to the wonderful musicians  of the Imperial Brass  who performed tonight, and I know that there were many brass players in the audience.  A few were sitting near me including the group’s arranger.  And I must also compliment the percussion section which provided the rhythmic glue for  the many complex compositions including the timpani player whose arms moved at 100 mph.

You may not know this, but the Imperial Brass has its roots at Rutgers University.  My late brother Mel Goldfinger, PhD,  was a Rutgers graduate who played trombone, euphonium, baritone horn and viola in the Rutgers music community.  He became a neuroscientist and he told me that Rutgers let him minor in trombone and that he played every piece ever written for that instrument. Throughout his life he never stopped making serious music.

The Conductor Ronald Waiksnoris  was superb.  He spoke of his  career serving as Bandmaster of the Salvation Army New York Staff Band for 24 years.

In this regard, I was informed by an OG source that the Salvation Army Brass Band will be here in the Grove and will present a concert outdoors after Labor Day on our boardwalk.   Watch for that! It will be terrific.

Finally the audience loved the group’s rendition of Sousa’s  “Stars and Stripes Forever ”  which concluded the program and where instead of a piccolo solo, we got a soprano cornet player who did great with that intricate section  near the end.

I recall an Army band performing in Asbury Park’s Paramount  Theatre some years ago and when that part came up, about 10 piccolo players, mostly women, stepped forward in a line  and played the part in full dress uniforms.

Eileen Goldfinger  video. Blogfinger.net. Crank up the July 4 volume and click on the icon at the lower right corner to watch this enlarged: It’s great!