Big crowd enjoys floating orchestra; 2nd performance is tonight

Thu, Aug 6, 2009    to del.icio.us

The murmur of the crowd came to a sudden stop when the Point Counterpoint II lifted it's hatch and revealed the American Wind Symphony Orchestra during Wednesday evening's waterfront concert.

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Beneath what looked like a patriotic barge was a large stage and 35 entertaining musicians from all over the world.

"Some of you may not know this ... this boat has not only been to Grand Haven and to South Haven, but it's even been to Paris," said the orchestra's music director, Robert Boudreau.

This week's visit is the barge's second time in Grand Haven during it's 30 years of world traveling. It was here in 1980.

To see a video of the orchestra's Wednesday night show, click here: http://www.grandhaventribune.com/liveique/b_vid_front.bsp

Twenty-nine-year-old trumpet player Paulo Silva said he has never been to Grand Haven before. In fact, this tour was his first time ever in the U.S.

"I'm from Brazil and it's a chance in a lifetime," Silva said. "I get to travel to 17 different cities, see the music and play together. Music is really the universal language and being on this tour shows me that."

Fellow musician and friend, Andrew Ho, 22 — who plays French horn for the orchestra — agreed with Silva.

"I haven't really ever traveled this far out before, so it's amazing that I get the chance to do this," he said. "You get to meet people that are from a different part of the world and it's really rewarding."

The musicians travel from city to city in three vans and sleep with different host families in the cities they perform in.

Silva said the musicians traveling together for seven weeks has "become like a family to us."

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Boudreau's wife, Kathleen, drove the 10 hours from Mars, Pa., with her two grandchildren to reunite with old friends at the Grand Haven stop. She also said the orchestra becomes very close during their touring time.

"One month ago, these musicians didn't know each other, and now they are like a family working for the same purpose," she said.

Kathleen Boudreau also said that because of the difficult repertoire of the music the orchestra plays, each musician improves exponentially during their time on the boat.

"It's a good training place and the high level of music helps the musicians learn," she said. "They sometimes complain while they are here — but then they write back in 10 to 20 years, saying that it was the most formative time of their life."

People arrived to Waterfront Stadium an hour and a half before Wednesday's show time to get seats for the event. By 7:10 p.m., the stadium was full.

Sitting front row and center was Grand Haven Mayor Roger Bergman, along with mayors from around the state who were attending the 2009 Michigan Association of Mayors Summer Workshop in Grand Haven.

The orchestra began its show with the "Fanfare for the Common Man," and continued to entertain and provide a nonstop lively show for nearly two hours.

Although it may have been the first time many residents have seen the orchestra perform, there were some longtime fans and admirers in the crowd.

Marion Erwin, 70, traveled all the way from Pittsburgh to see the orchestra, which she did public relations for from 1977-82 and again from 1989-90. Wednesday's show in Grand Haven was the first time that she's seen the orchestra perform in 20 years.

"I was with them on their Great Lakes tour and European tour," Erwin said. "It's a fantastic project that I was attracted to back in 1969 and I got involved because I wanted them to come to my community. I don't think that they have received the amount of fame that they deserve."

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Spring Lake resident John Hauet said the show was sensational.

"I was amazed at how good the musicians were," he said. "They played familiar tunes and grandeur tunes that were fun to listen to."

Hauet said he was attracted to the concert when he passed by the Point Counterpoint II earlier in the week.

"I saw this big barge downtown and I had no idea what it was," he said. "It looks like it's going to turn into a submarine. ... Being a music lover, I thought I'd see what it was all about."

Hauet said he planned to attend the concert again tonight with his wife.

"The music ability was outstanding," he said Wednesday night. "It was exotic but familiar, and I will be there again tomorrow."

Grand Haven Area Arts Council Chairman Gerry Witherell spoke to the crowd about how the orchestra ended up at Grand Haven's waterfront.

"Back in February, (Grand Haven City Manager) Pat McGinnis called me one cold miserable night and said, 'There's a man coming to town and it's your area of expertise, not mine — would you meet with him,'" Witherell said. "Well, it was a Wednesday night and, had it been a Monday, we wouldn't be sitting here tonight because I never miss 'Dancing With the Stars.'

"So I actually went to the meeting with the idea that I would simply listen, and it probably wouldn't happen because we have plenty on our plate and we didn't need one more thing," Witherell continued. "Robert Boudreau is the greatest salesman I have ever met in my life. We were there about two minutes and I thought, 'Well, we are going to have a wind symphony in Grand Haven here in the summer.'"

The orchestra received several standing ovations throughout the show and will be performing at Waterfront Stadium again tonight at 7:30.