Rhapsody in Blue at the Malachi

February 15, 2024

Oberon turned out in force on Sunday, February 11, for the first concert at the Malachi Gilmore Hall for 2024. The program was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in February, 1924 with all the musical pieces coming from the same period in the early 20th century.

A full house waits for the music to start

The performers were Carl Rafferty (piano), Joolee Kim (flute/piccolo), Hayley Mitchell (clarinet), Thomas Spencer (saxophone), Zach Raffan (trumpet) and percussionists Rauri Campbell and Othniel Ridley.

A note about black and white photos. Rhapsody in Blue was first performed in 1924. Kodachrome was the first useful colour process and it wasn't available as 35mm still camera film until 1936. Coincidentally, the inventors of Kodachrome were both professional musicians, pianist Leopold Mannes and violinist Leopold Godowsky. Photos of the performance here are in the style of the time.

The band (orchestra?) gets ready to entertain

The first half of the program started with the Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein, followed by the three parts of Erlk Satie's Suite Montmartre.

Saxophonist Thomas Spencer

These were followed by the first movement of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9, opus 70 and three pieces by Maurice Ravel, Pavane pour une infante défunte, Pièce en forme de Habanera and Bolero.

Trumpeter Zach Raffan

After the interval, the audience were treated to Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin, a return to Shostakovich with five excerpts from jazz and lyrical suites, with Joolee Kim switching from flute to piccolo for the aptly named Piccolo Polka.

The two items before the finale were solo pieces by Claude Debussy.

Carl Rafferty performed the familiar Clair de Lune

Joolee Kim gave us Debussy's Syrinx

The final piece was what everyone had been waiting for, Rhapsody in Blue, and nobody was disappointed. There was even a birthday cake with sparklers to celebrate the occasion.

The cake

Again, Lucy and Johnny East must be congratulated and thanked for bringing entertainment like this to Oberon and we all look forward to the next special event at the Malachi Gilmore Hall.

And if you are wondering how long it would take to compose a masterpiece like Rhapsody in Blue, here is what Mr Gershwin had to say about that.