Fiddlin’ Around amazes audience
The Fiddlin’ Around concert performed by the Butler County Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 12, was accompanied by local singers and the accomplished guest fiddler Caitlin Warbelow — and it was a spectacle to be admired.
The lights dimmed and a deep voice over the speakers reminded everyone to turn off their cellphones and to “let us amaze you.”
The orchestra opened with a tune called “Ohio Riverboat,” by Henry Mancini. A pleasant drone from the violins, accompanied by charming solos from the wind section, started the night. This sound was joined by a riverboat beat and growing melody, creating a picture of a boat chugging along a sunny river on a warm summer day.
For the next piece, the orchestra was accompanied by Warbelow. She was a part of the original Broadway musical “Come From Away,” a Tony Award-winning production. The piece, “Strings and Threads Suite” by Mark O’Connor, was gorgeously played and told a story that you can hear but not fully understand. This was the case for every fiddle song that night. There were words in the melody, lost to the ears but not to the heart.
After the song ended the audience gave a long, heartfelt applause, during which conductor Daniel Wiley assured everyone that Warbelow would be playing more.
Wiley is one of the three finalists being considered to become the Butler symphony’s new music director. What sets Wiley apart is his passion for music education. He invited the North Allegheny Fiddlers, an ensemble of young musicians, to play a song with the orchestra, giving them the opportunity to perform for a large audience and showcase their talents.
After intermission awards were given out. Juliette Trudeau, the principal percussionist, received the Symphony Musician Award; Slippery Rock Area School District music teacher Heather Groves-Edwards was named Outstanding Music Educator; and Ronald L. McKissick received the Symphony Service Award.
The second half started with “Variations on a Shaker Melody.” In this piece the beautiful melody from “Appalachian Spring” was played by different sections to display the different color and tone of each instrument.
One song that stood out in the second half the performance needed no introduction. When they played the first few bars the audience gasped and started to clap along. This song was no other than “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
The orchestra was again accompanied by Warbelow and joined by local singers. Soloist Phil Ball narrated with enthusiasm and the three harmony singers — Ken Smith, Noah Reed and Michael Marra — carried it home.
Heather Helsel, Danna Golden, Mara Flannery, Ali Erevia, Phill Ball, Michael Marra, Noah Reed and Ken Smith sang “Me and the Sky” and “Welcome to the Rock” from the musical “Come From Away,” bringing a little bit of Broadway to Butler.
This concert had many unique aspects and was adored by the audience. Throughout the night when a song ended you could hear the occasional “wow,” and after the show everyone was talking about how amazing Warbelow and the orchestra were.
Liza Wick is a senior at Butler Senior High School.
