A Musical Adventure

Last Sunday evening a bus-full of Kendal residents attended an orchestral concert on the Denison University campus. The venue was Swasey Chapel, Denison's large and historic gathering site for major events. The performing group was the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble of reliable amateurs and professionals who, under Timothy Weiss's direction, provide the county with grand musical evenings four or five times a year. But -- and there's no doubt about this point -- the source of our sense of high anticipation was the prospect of hearing a performance of Haydn's keyboard Concerto in D. Why (you might wonder) did this opportunity so excite us? Because the pianist was all of seven years old!

It is rare that one gets to attend the performances of child prodigies. The term itself is, I suppose, problematic. But our young man dazzled the packed chapel. His talent was so obvious, so enchanting, that it is properly called a "gift" -- that is, an ability that seems somehow to transcend what mere practice and dedication and even love of music can achieve. (This is spoken by someone who knows whereof he speaks, having labored long years at the piano with little to show for the effort or his parents' expenses.) When the performance on Sunday ended, the audience rose almost as one to fill the chapel with applause.

The rest of the concert was enjoyable too. A new violin concerto by a Denison composer. A set of solos and duets from operas by Mozart, Delibes, and Offenbach. Songs from hit Broadway musicals. But on the bus during the short drive home, conversation focused on the young man whose musical resources and winning smile had engraved the concert on our minds. We felt that we had attended a truly special occasion, and we were reminded that there is something deeply satisfying in reflecting upon the heights to which human creativity may soar.