 
What an exciting year! Our 2004 Sound of America Summer
Music Program began at Dickinson College with 220 students
from across the country. After a hot and dry summer in 2003,
this past summer's temperatures were quite cool and refreshing.
One example of this was when we took the
beautiful and exciting Grossglockner Mountain pass through
Austria to Italy. A special treat for us that day was
the fact that it was snowing during most of the ride through
the mountains! The scenery was spectacular, and SOA members
played in the fresh snow!
Aside from the planned site-seeing activities in each
country, SOA members encountered some unusual things too.
Probably the most notable was when a number of students
met actor and current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
in Salzburg, Austria.  He
was visiting the country after the passing of Austria's
president.
This
year's band and choir were perhaps among the best ever.
Audiences were warm, with especially large full-house
crowds in Stresa, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Luxembourg and Molsheim.
Our last concert was in a new town for SOA. The little
town of Molsheim in Alsace, seemed thrilled to welcome
us! The mayor of the town explained to the crowd and to
our performers that it almost to the day of the 60th year
anniversary date, that the Americans and Allies freed
their town during World War II. Both directors subsequently
received the "medal of honor" from the Mayor.
The concert organizers had expected 250-300 spectators,
and over 700 enthusiastic people attended giving us standing
ovations! People were standing outside the hall listening,
only because there was no more room in the concert hall.
Even the United States Consulate was represented at the
concert.
Choir members enjoyed the experience of performing in
centuries-old cathedrals like Notre Dame of Paris and
San Marco of Venice. Impromptu performances included St.
Jakob's church in Rothenburg, Mirabel Gardens' cultural
center, Salzburg,
Borromeo Palace in Isola Bella, Italy and Verona's 1st
century BC Roman Coliseum. Besides sacred pieces, the
choir also included upbeat pieces for the other concerts
including "Cheek to Cheek", "Mama, I'm
a Big Girl Now", from Hairspray, and a choreographed
medley of "Footloose".
The
Band featured returning trumpeter from UCLA, Ben Tellinghuisen,
on a special arrangement of "Slavische Fantasie".
He and another featured trumpet player, Beth Peroutka
of Maryland, performed a rare arrangement of "Trumpet
Fiesta". Other famous pieces in the band's repertoire
included "La Belle Helene" by Offenbach and
the "Glenn Miller Medley", arranged by former
Army Field Band arranger, Ken McCoy.
This
year's big combination pieces included "A Jubilant
Song" and "The Magic of Disney", which
seemed to go over very well, especially with Pooh, in
Disneyland, Paris.
 This
year was the first year that we had a second generation
tour member whose mother had toured with us in 1978 as
a student musician. One of our other tour member's father
was a candidate for the United States presidential election
under the Constitution party.
And
not to be forgotten: during our Bon Voyage concerts, the
Sound of America recognized Marguerite Tussey, former
SOA chaperone from '82, who was presented the Medal of
Honor from the French Government for her efforts during
World War II this past spring. She was one of only 100
Americans to receive this award. |
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