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Archive for the ‘Ocean Grove Musical Event’ Category

The Orchestra of St. Peter’s By the Sea

Posted in Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged , , on October 24, 2019| Leave a Comment »

 

Re-posted from 2012 by popular demand.   At that time,  Father Alphonse Stephenson, conductor, presented a concert in the Great Auditorium honoring Marvin Hamlisch, who scored the music for A Chorus Line.  Hamlisch died in 2012

Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

Father Alphonse Stephenson  is well known to Ocean Grove audiences.  He and the Orchestra of St. Peter’s By the Sea have appeared many times before in the Great Auditorium.  Father Stephenson worked with Marvin Hamlisch while conducting “A Chorus Line” on Broadway—something Father Stephenson did for nearly 3,000 performances.

Father Alphonse Stephenson

The tribute for Hamlisch  included an “Overture to A Chorus Line.”   The show never actually had an overture. In addition, an unpublished song, called “The One Song,”  written by Mr. Hamlisch, with lyrics by the Bergmans, will be sung by Chris Pinella, with Father Alphonse at the piano.

This concert, sponsored by the OG Camp Meeting Association, was presented on Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

Here, from the original cast album is “One”–from “A Chorus Line.”

—Paul Goldfinger

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The music man returns.

Posted in Ocean Grove boardwalk, Ocean Grove Concert, Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged , on October 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Paul Eichlin still making his “carousel music” on the OG side of the North End boards. Some day the area behind him will be filled with stores, condos and a hotel. Paul Goldfinger photo. Oct. 2019. ©

Link to a 2018 post about Paul:

Paul Eichlin Blogfinger post 2018.

 

 

WURLITZER CAROUSEL MUSIC:

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Chamber hits a musical home-run with sidewalk “Cabaret” downtown.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove downtown Main Avenue, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove Musical Event, Ocean Grove neighborhood event, tagged on September 28, 2019| Leave a Comment »

 

Suzie Neustadter entertained the Cabaret audience downtown. 9//28/19 Paul Goldfinger photos and videos.  Click image to enlarge the scene.

 

By Paul Goldfinger,  Editor@Blogfinger.net

For a long while, it seemed that the Chamber of Commerce only had eyes for the blues when it brought the same musical groups downtown for their various festivals.

But this time, seemingly out of the blue, came a wonderful musical program at Main and Pilgrim Pathway, with no street closures, only music of the sort that we have not heard before here:  Broadway, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, jazz, Gershwin, Amy Winehouse, Beatles, and others, and it was so refreshing and professional.

An Ocean Grover, Lou Parisi, brought the  program that included well known  jazz pianist Art Topolow and a variety of terrific Jersey singers and musicians.  We’ll try to get their names.

And this is the sort of programming that we at Blogfinger have been craving:  something joyful and personal that could connect with a small crowd of locals and without the parking glut and tourist mob scene that we usually see in the  Grove.

I often kid the Chamber of Commercials, but there was nothing commercial about this 3 hour program which was relaxing and great  fun.  Even the traffic going by seemed to add a sense of spontaneity to the music, and that is a desirable quality.

I  tried to find out from a Chamber member as to what bright light ignited this wonderful surprise, but all he could say was, “We wanted a change.”

I’d like to think that this program reflects a new awareness of our community of residents and its needs.

 

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Ocean Grove Summer Band led by Harry Eichhorn.

Posted in Ocean Grove beachfront, Ocean Grove events, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove magic moments, Ocean Grove Musical Event, Ocean Grove summer time, tagged , on August 7, 2019| 2 Comments »

Ocean Grove Summer Band in the Boardwalk Pavilion. 7/5/15. By Jean Bredin, Blogfinger.net staff. ©

Ocean Grove Summer Band in the Boardwalk Pavilion. 8/5/15. By Jean Bredin, Blogfinger.net staff. ©    Click to enlarge

Re-post from 2015.   “Around Town With Jean:”

“Harry Eichhorn’s Summer Band is a treasure. It is reminiscent of days gone by.
Where else can you hear a rousing song, feel the ocean breezes, then stroll for ice cream?”

–Jean Bredin, Blogfinger staff.

Here is a link to a 2013 article which we posted about Harry :     Wild about Harry

VINCE GIORDANO AND THE NIGHTHAWKS

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Auditorium Square Park: Music is in the air.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged , on August 3, 2019| 2 Comments »

August 1, 2019. During intermission of the Summer Stars Finale., as the sun began to set.   Music floats out there.  Paul Goldfinger photo©  Click to enlarge.

 

warming up

Warming up. The MidAtlantic Symphony Orchestra was superb, Paul Goldfinger ©

 

Mr and Mrs. Ronald Naldi made their way to the GA where he performed music from Carmen.; a sample is below. Paul Goldfinger photo. 8/1/19 ©

 

By Eileen and Paul Goldfinger,  Editors at Blogfinger.net

The finale of Summer Stars was held on August 1 in the Great Auditorium. It was a magnificent concert.  The music floated out from the open doors to be heard by passersby in the park.

The program had to be changed with just a few days of lead time, but Maestro Jason Tramm was able to put together a lovely and seamless musical event.

The four movements of Scheherazade by Rimsky- Korsakov, a difficult piece, was wonderful with soloist Byung Kook Kwak on violin. It was the story of “A Thousand and One Nights,  and there even was a storm at sea and a ship going to pieces on a rock. There is a taste of that below with Part III  ” The Young Prince and the Young Princess.”

And the Tannhauser Overture, by Wagner, was thrilling with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra reverberating through the wooden acoustics of the Great Auditorium with no sound enhancement in this program.

Ronald Naldi’s solo was gorgeous as always. He performed a piece from Carmen, and you can get an idea from Eileen’s video clip below.  There is a brief glitch, but then it goes on. The iPhone XS does a respectable job with the sound.

 

 

 

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA RECORDING:  Scheherazade  part 3, The Young Prince and the Princess.:

 

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Jason Tramm and company triumph at the Music of the Spirit concert. Gwyneth Walker’s OG debut with her “Songs of Faith” is magnificent.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove memories, Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged on August 27, 2018| 1 Comment »

Great Auditorium. Music of the Spirit concert. August 26, 2018. Paul Goldfinger photograph ©  Click to enlarge.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net

 

The video below is from the final part of this 6 part composition—Songs of Faith.   It is called “Where Moses Stood.” This section includes choir, organ, brass and percussion.  The words from the last two stanzas are:

“Oh, Mary, oh Mary, oh Mary. No! No! No! No! No! No!

“Don’t you weep and don’t you mourn.

“If I could, I surely would stand on the rock where Moses stood.

“Pharaoh’s army got drownded, oh, Mary, don’t you weep, don’t you mourn.”

 

 

 

August 26, 2018.  Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

The Songs of Faith is like an exciting 6 chapter short-story book that unfolds with beauty, grace, emotions, unexpected plot twists, and wonderful melodies.  Each part captures your mind  in a way that as each one draws to a close, you wish it would stay a bit longer but you also anticipate the next surprise.

Composer Gwyneth Walker borrows from time-worn hymns and gospel tunes while punctuating them with lively and modern hooks and tempos.

It is a great privilege for the audience last night that this piece was performed in the Great Auditorium of Ocean Grove, and the OG Camp Meeting Association deserves high praise for their willingness to sponsor such an original commission, in association with the Summit Music Festival in Summit, New Jersey.  And to present this production at no cost is remarkable indeed.

The presentation included the 120 voice OG Choir, the MidAtlantic Brass Ensemble with percussion, Gordon Turk on the Hope-Jones Organ, and soloists including Monica Ziglar (soprano) Katherine Pracht (Mezzo-Soprano,) Justin Beck (Baritone Soloist) and Ronald Naldi  (Tenor Soloist.)

Jason Tramm conducting.

They were all marvelous, and JoAnnn Lamolino (trumpet soloist in Part 4) was so good with her rendition of “Were You There” performed with Gordon Turk that she received an expansive round of applause–well worth the acclaim.

After the concert, I bumped into soloists Ronald Naldi and Justin Beck walking briskly outside, on the dark tent side of the Auditorium.  Beck was already in shorts, while Naldi had loosened his tie.  They were chatting amiably and smiling as they downed some well-earned soft drinks.

As they breezed by I  told them that their concert was terrific, but their smiles and pace indicated that they knew the event was a success—and so it was.

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Summer Band signs off for this year in the Great Auditorium

Posted in Ocean Grove boardwalk, Ocean Grove events, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove Musical Event, Ocean Grove summer time, tagged on August 24, 2018| Leave a Comment »

 

 

From Jean Bredin  (video)  Around Town with Jean:

“The Ocean Grove Summer Band performed a variety of songs tonight at the Great Auditorium. this is  Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”—a traditional march to get toes tapping and hands clapping at the conclusion of an OG concert.
There was a nice crowd who came out to hear the music.
Harry Eichhorn treated us by leading the band for a number of songs .
This is their 66th year.
Here is a Blogfinger link from 2015.

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The Ushers’ March. Choir Festival 2018

Posted in Around town with Jean, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association Activity, Ocean Grove events, Ocean Grove Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged , on July 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

 

Paul Goldfinger ©. 2012. Ushers March in the Great Auditorium during Choir Festival.

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The sweetest sounds: The Imperial Brass and Soloists in the Great Auditorium of Ocean Grove, NJ

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove magic moments, Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged on July 6, 2018| 1 Comment »

Enthusiastic patriots down the row from Eileen and me.     Summer Stars 7/5/18. All photos and videos by Paul Goldfinger.

By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor at Blogfinger.net

Another season of Summer Stars unfolded with the Imperial Brass, a world-class group of 30 musicians who traveled to Ocean Grove to present a marvelous concert to 425 enthusiastic folks in the Great Auditorium on a hot summer July evening.

This was a special occasion for the group, because joining them was Phil Smith of Ocean Grove and the World.  Phil has a summer cottage in the Grove and he has played here before.   For  40 years he was principal trumpet with the NY Philharmonic.  And sometimes he plays during Sunday services in the Great Auditorium

In addition, our own Gordon Turk participated on the Hope-Jones organ, and there was another special guest:  Warren Vaché, jazz cornettist.

Probably the most impressive part of the concert was when Gordon Turk conducted an ensemble of 10 brass players to do a brilliant piece called “Grand Choeur Dialogué”  I was mesmerized.

The three soloists were amazing  with gorgeous tones and technique, so we have some video clips.—turn up your volume.     And the Imperial Brass were absolutely the best. To hear such an accomplished group perform within the acoustics of the GA was a great privilege.

 

 

 

 

I cannot express how wonderful this concert was. Our tickets cost $29.00 for two. Sitting near me was Congressman Frank Pallone.  We talked music for  about 30 seconds after the concert ended—he stayed for every note.  I’ve seen him there before.   Don’t miss all the Thursday Summer Stars  concerts coming up. The seats are not reserved.

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Katherine Pracht (mezzo soprano) and Gordon Turk (organist) in the Great Auditorium on July 4, 2018

Posted in Ocean Grove July 4, Ocean Grove Musical Event, tagged , on July 5, 2018| 1 Comment »

Introduction to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.”      Ms. Pracht’s beautiful voice blended with the Hope Jones organ. After this, the audience rose to join in singing Mr. Berlin’s loving tribute to America. Berlin was an immigrant who came here and magically understood the greatness of the USA such that he could write music like  this.

This performance was part of Mr. Turk’s organ concert, “Pipes and Stripes.”

 

 

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