Atlantic Wind Ensemble 11/23/2025. Paul Goldfinger photographs. Blogfinger.net. Click once to enlarge.
Conductor Eliot Prowse. Paul Goldfinger photo.
St Paul’s window says “Enter Into His Courts With Praise.” But tonight “With Music” could be imagined. Paul Goldfinger photo.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Blogfinger.net. 11/23
Those of us who enjoy concerts in Ocean Grove usually experience such programs in the Great Auditorium, but, for the most part, that is now out of the question; except perhaps for the Live Nativity.
St. Paul’s Church is a fine venue for music. They have good acoustics, an organ, and the Church is a welcoming place for religious music.
The Atlantic Wind Ensemble is a familiar music group in town. They have about 50 musicians and most of them are women. The conductor is Eliot Prowse. He does a fine job, and you can spot him from across the room because of his bushy mustache. Ted Freeman announced the program and conducted a Leroy Anderson piece called “A Christmas Festival.”
The most ambitious selection on the program was the “Nutcracker Suite” by Tchaikovsky. Mike Wazeka came down from his percussion perch to conduct this Russian masterpiece in multiple movements. Musically there were a few rough moments, but all things considered we have to applaud this performance. I especially admired the work of a solo piccolo player in this piece, although I don’t have her name. Maybe she is the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Below: click if it says, “Watch video on You Tube” Click “skip” if that appears. It is the Royal Ballet: “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” She is magnificent!
The St. Paul’s Christmas concert consisted of a remarkable number of selections. (14) without an intermission. Bravo to all those musicians who kept their reeds wet and their embouchures steady .
And thanks to St Paul’s Ocean Grove Church and Pastor Joe Tiedemann who greeted those in attendance. And an extra spin of a dreidel for Conductor Prowse who good-naturely put a “Chanukah Festival Overture” on the program. I should have worn my yarmulka.
And for those of you interested in the Atlantic Wind Ensemble, here is a link from the Great Auditorium from 2012 Blogfinger.net review:
Atlantic Wind Ensemble concert 2012