Birmingham Suzuki Violinists 2017 Spring Concert was one of our most exciting to date! It was held on March 12, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. in one of the finest concert halls in Birmingham, the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater at Alabama School of Fine Arts!  The day began at 1:00 for us, as we would arrive, set the stage, warm up and get mentally ready.

Section I. BSV Orchestra

The concert began showcasing our group as an orchestral body performing Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Violinsin d minor, Opus 3, no. 8, RV 522.”  The soloists featured for the first movement, Allegro con ampiezza were Luke Baxley, (first violin) and Whitney Byington (second violin). They deftly handled the upbeat & spirited musical duets marked by beriolage and rhythmic encounter.    The Andante movement consisted of an intricate weaving of melody, typical of the classical concerto tradition. It featured the beautiful expressive tone of Eesha Banerjee (1st violin) and Ashlin Duncan (second violin).  They remained as soloists in the Allegro ma non troppo third movement, which again flourished with beriolage and exciting passagework. The Tutti sections were played with gust and vigor, and dynamic sensitivity by the group.

Section II.   Soloists

• Concerto no. 5, 1st mvt.  by F. Seitz was performed by Elliot Wang.
• Whitney Byington performed Veracini Gigue from Sonata in d minor
• Bach’s Unaccompanied Gigue was played by Mary-Candler Shantz.
• Eesha Banerjee performed two movements of Handel’s Sonata in F major in a duet accompanied by LaDonna on violin.
• Fiocco Allegro was performed by Luke Baxley.
• Corelli’s LaFolia was performed by Ashlin Duncan.  Ashlin and LaDonna deviated from the traditional score, performing the final sections in a more original free form contemporary style.
• Pianists:  All three movements of C.M. Clementi’s Sonatina in C major was deftly executed by Deven Kitchens and Henry Blankenship performed German Song and Turkish March. 

Section III:  Eastern European Music

The highlight of this year’s musical exploration was Eastern European folk tradition! Students learned many traditional folk tunes from Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Jewish Klezmer, a rich heritage of lively rhythms and bizarre scales. We were accompanied by acoustic guitar, mandolin, contra bass, tambourine and drum. It was a fast and furious set, and the girls wore colorful aprons over their dresses!

Section IV-VI

Section IV: featured an original composition based on loops and samples by our student composer, Agasthya Vedre-Kyanam.

Section V:  Three pieces by J.S. Bach that are integral in the Suzuki Method. Bouree’, Musette, and Minuet II.

Section VI:  New students were introduced! We welcome Waylon O’Brien, and Helen and Bernadette Fay to BSVA!

Section VII.  Finale Fiddle Section

• Hole in the Stocking
• Red Wing
• Fiddler’s Dream
• Cripple Creek (performed by Fiddle Face: Whitney, Toby, Jaye & Lee Conn)
• El Rancho Grande/La Cucaracha
• Boogie Woogie (with electric violin improv rock-out by LaDonna)

As always, we welcomed our guests afterwards with a reception following the concert!