Heritage, Dance, Food <strong>and</strong> CultureThe National Shrine Grot<strong>to</strong> of Our Lady of Lourdes–A Maryl<strong>and</strong> Day Trip of Solace <strong>and</strong> ReliefText <strong>and</strong> Pho<strong>to</strong>s by Kevin LeitzelGettingAroundFrom Route 15 in Emmitsburg,Maryl<strong>and</strong>, at first glance the <strong>to</strong>weringgolden statue emerges from thetree<strong>to</strong>ps of the majestic green paintingof trees that is Mount St. Mary’sUniversity. Just above the campusare the National Shrine Grot<strong>to</strong> ofOur Lady of Lourdes <strong>and</strong> its 95-footbell <strong>to</strong>wer, the Pangborn MemorialCampanile, <strong>to</strong>pped off with a 25-footgold-leaf bronze figure of the VirginMary. According <strong>to</strong> the Website, www.grot<strong>to</strong>oflourdesemmitsburg.com, theGrot<strong>to</strong> was founded (as a place ofprayer <strong>and</strong> devotion) by Father JohnDuBois in 1805. Made in 1875 in thelikeness of the revered French shrineof Lourdes, the National Shrine Grot<strong>to</strong>is the oldest known replica of theLourdes shrine <strong>to</strong>day. (The originalLourdes apparitions were in 1858.)Like the 15 Mysteries of theRosary depicted in the mosaic tileinterpretations (imported from Italy)that line the walkway <strong>to</strong> the Grot<strong>to</strong>cave <strong>and</strong> chapels, the his<strong>to</strong>ry of St.Mary’s on the Hill is a s<strong>to</strong>ry filledwith hope <strong>and</strong> renewal. A group ofCatholics seeking religious freedomleft St. Mary’s City, Maryl<strong>and</strong>, in 1728<strong>to</strong> settle St. Mary’s Mountain, wherethe grot<strong>to</strong> st<strong>and</strong>s <strong>to</strong>day, <strong>and</strong> St. Joseph’sValley, the small city at the foot ofthe mountain. In 1805, Father JohnDuBois, fleeing France, came upon St.Mary’s Mount, where he was attracted<strong>to</strong> “a light” on the hill. There he erecteda church <strong>and</strong> a small log cabin, wherehe stayed. Shortly after, Elizabeth AnnSe<strong>to</strong>n borrowed Father DuBois’ cabinuntil the completion of her home inSt. Joseph’s Valley. In a letter dated May27, 1810, Elizabeth Ann Se<strong>to</strong>n referred<strong>to</strong> the spot as “the Grot<strong>to</strong>” for the firsttime. Elizabeth Ann Se<strong>to</strong>n (1774-1821)was canonized in 1975, the first UnitedStates citizen <strong>to</strong> become a RomanCatholic saint.Today, visi<strong>to</strong>rs, also referred <strong>to</strong> aspilgrims, can see the Grot<strong>to</strong> cave.Like the chapels <strong>and</strong> the Reservoir<strong>and</strong> Statue, the Grot<strong>to</strong> cave is a placeof silence, meditation, prayer <strong>and</strong>devotion. C<strong>and</strong>les are available forlighting along with a small donation<strong>and</strong> prayer request. On a sunny day atthe Reservoir <strong>and</strong> Statue, the blazingwhite lady is mirrored in the bluepool around her. Whether one isreligious or not, the scene serves asa powerful symbol of the lady’s purityabove <strong>and</strong> below, just like Father JohnDuBois <strong>and</strong> the Catholics seekingrefuge who happened upon thisFree Performancesof “Joseph <strong>and</strong>the TechnicolorDreamcoat”Slated in GettysburgThe Biblical character, Joseph, willbe in Gettysburg during the month ofAugust, thanks <strong>to</strong> maestro Chad-AlanCarr, seen here in front of the AdamsCounty School of Music Theatre whichhe directs, <strong>and</strong> the Lutheran TheologicalSeminary Chapel where the show willbe staged. Admission is free <strong>to</strong> theproductions, spanning the weeks ofthis hot summer month, <strong>and</strong> you canget more information on auditions <strong>and</strong>on performances by calling 717-334-2692 or visiting acsmt.org.Mount St. Mary’s Lady Lavangbeautiful mountain. If you go, be sure<strong>to</strong> take along a few dollars <strong>and</strong> giveyourself at least two hours <strong>to</strong> walk thealways-exp<strong>and</strong>ing Grot<strong>to</strong>. <strong>Do</strong>nationsare accepted <strong>and</strong> items are availablefor sale, including artistic prints,rosaries <strong>and</strong> Grot<strong>to</strong> water, blessedby the Grot<strong>to</strong>’s chaplain. Mount St.Mary’s University is at 16300 OldEmmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg,Maryl<strong>and</strong>. Further information isavailable at 301-447-5318.8 <strong>ShowcaseNow</strong>! Volume 7 Issue 6National Shrine Grot<strong>to</strong> of Our Lady of LourdesA New Ora<strong>to</strong>rio Being StagedCapi<strong>to</strong>l Opera Harrisburg will hold an audition on Sunday, August 22, from 2 <strong>to</strong>5 p.m. for Walter Robin’s “The Breath of God”, a new ora<strong>to</strong>rio. Singers will be heardby appointment <strong>and</strong> may e-mail Kathleen Torchia at <strong>to</strong>rchia03@gmail.com <strong>to</strong>schedule an audition. Auditions will be held at the Holy Name of Jesus Church <strong>and</strong>School, 6150 Allen<strong>to</strong>wn Boulevard, Harrisburg.Performances are scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.<strong>and</strong> Sunday,May 15 2011 at 2 p.m. Rehearsals will be held during the week prior <strong>to</strong> theperformances <strong>and</strong> there are solos for Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor & Bass. Chorusmembers need not audition, but should e-mail Kathleen at <strong>to</strong>rchia03@gmail.com<strong>to</strong> express their interest, the producers suggest. Phone Kathleen at 717-232-2733.
Legendary Blues <strong>and</strong> Folk PerformerChris Smither <strong>to</strong> Play at Long’s Park August 22By Jess HaydenMusic Soothes, Music HealsLancaster – Chris Smither isconsidered one of the biggest names onthe U.S. folk circuit. He is a major drawat music festivals <strong>and</strong> his driving folk<strong>and</strong> blues-infused style has earned himcountless loyal fans. And deservedlyso. He’s spent four decades honing hissuperb finger-picking style, perfectinghis songwriting craft <strong>and</strong> developing arapport with audiences that is nothingshort of magical. “We were lookingfor a singer-songwriter who wasalso a s<strong>to</strong>ryteller,” said Stella Sax<strong>to</strong>n,direc<strong>to</strong>r of the Long’s Park SummerMusic Series. “We selected ChrisSmither because he’s a great performerwho really knows how <strong>to</strong> energize acrowd.” The Long’s Park AmphitheaterFoundation presents concerts featuringan eclectic line-up of world classmusicians on Sunday evenings in thesummer. Chris Smither will make hisdebut performance at Long’s Park onSunday, August 22 , at 7:30 p.m. with hisb<strong>and</strong>, The Motiva<strong>to</strong>rs.Longtime fans of Chris Smitherwho are used <strong>to</strong> seeing him solo maywonder what his music will be likewith a b<strong>and</strong>. “The concert will be allClockwise from bot<strong>to</strong>m: Chris Smither, Zak Trojano,David “Goody” Goodrichabout Chris Smither,” assures b<strong>and</strong>member David “Goody” Goodrich.“We complement Smither’s uniquestyle. We sit close <strong>to</strong>gether, play off ofeach other…<strong>and</strong> sometimes you can’ttell where Chris’ guitar ends <strong>and</strong> minebegins.” Goodrich, who plays electric<strong>and</strong> acoustic guitars as well as piano,is joined by percussionist Zak Trojano.The trio originally formed in 2008 <strong>to</strong>play for a festival in the Netherl<strong>and</strong>s<strong>and</strong> more recently worked <strong>to</strong>getheron “Time St<strong>and</strong>s Still,” a Chris SmitherCD lauded for its raw energy, sparsearrangements <strong>and</strong> creative interplay.So as not <strong>to</strong> drown out Smither’ssignature foot-tapping, Trojano beatsan old suitcase instead of a bassdrum <strong>and</strong> uses recycled material (liketin cans) along with more st<strong>and</strong>ardpercussion instruments. Perhaps themost unusual instrument they’ll playis a “Diddley Boo,” a one-stringedinstrument with a pickup made fromthe ignition of an old car. “This wasmade for us by a friend,” said Goodrich,“in honor of a song that Chris singsabout a Chevy Slant Six.”“Come up <strong>and</strong> see me after theshow,” invites Goodrich, “<strong>and</strong> I’ll showyou how it works.”To find out more about ChrisSmither, visit his Website at http://smither.com.Concert Details:Long’s Park Summer Music Seriespresents Chris Smither <strong>and</strong> theMotiva<strong>to</strong>rs, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August22, at the amphitheater, 1441 HarrisburgPike, Lancaster. Concert is free. Eachconcertgoer should bring a lawn chair.Information at www.longspark.org.About the Writer:Jess Hayden is a musician <strong>and</strong> concertpromoter who programs events for theSusquehanna Folk Music Society. Alongtime fan of folk <strong>and</strong> traditional music--from bluegrass <strong>to</strong> Celtic <strong>and</strong> Old-Time <strong>to</strong>singer/songwriter--she is always thrilled<strong>to</strong> share her love of music with others. Hervision for “Trad Talk” is <strong>to</strong> expose readers<strong>to</strong> the very best tradition-based artistsperforming in our region <strong>and</strong> the venuesthat present them. You can contact her atjess@showcasepa.net.“Music That Defines the Order of the Universe”Baroque Music: 1620-1750 By Karen WixAt last, on our very basic <strong>to</strong>ur of thehis<strong>to</strong>ry of what is known as “classicalmusic,” we reach an age when thecomposers <strong>and</strong> their music start <strong>to</strong>become familiar <strong>to</strong> most people. Notbeing a huge fan of madrigals <strong>and</strong>Gregorian <strong>to</strong>ne poems, I couldn’t wait<strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong> this point in our journey.Baroque can be defined as “musicthat defines the order of the universe.”Surprisingly, it is always tuneful <strong>and</strong>lively.Considered one of the glories of theBaroque age, opera began in Italy butsoon spread all across Europe in the17th century. Opera began a short timebefore the Baroque period but becamea true art form during this time. Thefirst surviving opera, Eurydice, wasperformed in 1600 at the wedding ofHenri IV of France. At the onset, operaswere staged for rulers <strong>and</strong> courtiers.Opera was born in Florence, out ofa group of Italian aris<strong>to</strong>crats. Thefirst public opera house was openedin Venice in 1637. By the end of thecentury, 388 operas had been stagedin 17 theaters. By 1700, Venice, witha population of 100,000, supportedseven opera companies.For the purposes of this article, wewill discuss three of the most famous<strong>and</strong> listened-<strong>to</strong> composers of the era:Vivaldi, H<strong>and</strong>el <strong>and</strong> Bach.Vivaldi Trained as a PriestAn<strong>to</strong>nio Lucio Vivaldi (1675?/1678?-1741) trained as a priest but left theclergy <strong>to</strong> concentrate on his violin<strong>and</strong> composing. For most of hisworking life Vivaldi was employed by“the Ospedali” -- fancy orphanagesfor illegitimate daughters of Italiannoblemen. While teaching <strong>and</strong>composing for “the Ospedali,”Vivaldi wrote works on commissionfrom foreign rulers, including LouisXV <strong>and</strong> the Pope. Vivaldi’s operas,ora<strong>to</strong>rios <strong>and</strong> concer<strong>to</strong>s transformedthe tradition of descriptive musicin<strong>to</strong> a typically Italian musical style inwhich the strings play a major role. Aprodigious composer, Vivaldi traveledextensively throughout Europe. TheFour Seasons is arguably his bestknowncomposition.It’s worth noting that bothGeorge Frideric H<strong>and</strong>el <strong>and</strong> JohannSebastian Bach were born in 1685in the Thuringian section of centralGermany.Music Lured H<strong>and</strong>el FromStudying LawAlthough H<strong>and</strong>el’s father wishedhim <strong>to</strong> study law, music lured theyoungster, <strong>and</strong> H<strong>and</strong>el left hishome<strong>to</strong>wn <strong>to</strong> begin teaching inHamburg. Invited <strong>to</strong> Italy by PrinceFerdin<strong>and</strong>o de’Medici, H<strong>and</strong>el gainedemployment as a household musician,<strong>and</strong> many of his major works werecomposed thus. The influence of Italywas expressed in H<strong>and</strong>el’s lifetimepreoccupation with opera. H<strong>and</strong>eltraveled <strong>to</strong> London, where he wasfavorably received by Queen Anne,<strong>and</strong> he received a lifetime pension of200 pounds, no small amount in thosetimes. Queen Anne’s successor, KingGeorge I, commissioned H<strong>and</strong>el <strong>to</strong>write Water Music for woodwinds <strong>and</strong>strings. When George I died, H<strong>and</strong>elcomposed four large-scale anthemsfor the coronation of George II, <strong>and</strong>these anthems have been playedat every British coronation since.H<strong>and</strong>el became music direc<strong>to</strong>r of theRoyal Academy of Music, founded bymembers of the nobility <strong>to</strong> showcaseItalian opera. H<strong>and</strong>el became anEnglish citizen in 1727. After theBishop of London banned any form oftheatrical action on stage of a biblicalsubject. H<strong>and</strong>el then producedDeborah <strong>and</strong> Athalia, considered thefirst great English ora<strong>to</strong>rio. In 1741H<strong>and</strong>el composed Messiah -- it was anunqualified success <strong>and</strong> is probablythe work for which H<strong>and</strong>el is bestknown. H<strong>and</strong>el died in 1759 <strong>and</strong> isburied in Westminster Abbey.Bach Learned from His FatherBach came from a very musicalllllllll<strong>Do</strong> Your PartFor The Artsfamily <strong>and</strong> learned <strong>to</strong> play the violin<strong>and</strong> harpsichord from his father.Orphaned at an early age, Johann wasreared by a brother, <strong>and</strong> his musiceducation continued. In 1703, at theage of eighteen, Bach became organistfor a newly built organ in Arnstadt.After visiting Lubeck <strong>and</strong> studyingthe works of famed organist DietrichBuxtehude, Bach acted as organist <strong>and</strong>teacher in various German cities. Hewas Kapellmeister (music direc<strong>to</strong>r of aroyal chapel) at the small court of PrinceLeopold of Anhalt-Cothen, all the timecomposing violin concer<strong>to</strong>s, sonatas<strong>and</strong> keyboard music. It was in thisperiod that Bach wrote Br<strong>and</strong>enburgConcer<strong>to</strong>s, one of his most notable<strong>and</strong> enduring works. Bach moved <strong>to</strong>Leipzig <strong>and</strong> became direc<strong>to</strong>r of theCollegiums, the musical departmen<strong>to</strong>f the University of Leipzig. In the lastyears of his life Bach wrote his Massin B-Minor, The Goldberg Variations<strong>and</strong> The Art of the Fugue. His skillsin counterpoint <strong>and</strong> fugue have goneunmatched <strong>to</strong> this day. Bach died in1750. Of his large family of children,four sons were also notable musicians<strong>and</strong> composers.<strong>ShowcaseNow</strong>! Volume 7 Issue 6 9
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