Post date: Feb 02, 2013 4:27:34 PM
One week after our celebration of the Cecilian Music Club’s 130th Anniversary, the sounds of the Monster Concert and the warmth of our banquet at Red Bank’s Molly Pitcher Inn still fill my memory with joy. It was a real honor to experience and and host this event, and it once again showed that the Cecilian Music Club is all about sharing friendship and passion for what you love, both through old traditions and new paths.
This year’s Monster Concert was an incredible success. We had more teachers and students participating than ever before, and this year’s performance went above and beyond all of our expectations. It is thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of all of the participants: teachers, students, parents, and Club members – that this event could come together. I would like to express my gratitude to the Freehold Music Center for providing us with beautiful instruments for the event and for years of collaboration with the Club, and to Brookdale Community College for the chance to perform in their lovely music hall. Thank you so much to Barbara Lerro, who infused the program with her insightful narration, creating a fun as well as educational experience for all of us. Finally, a heartfelt thank you full of admiration for Beth Chen, our fabulous conductor, who has created an orchestra out of thin air every January for many years. Your dedication is an inspiration to us all, and we would never be able to have this event without you. Thank you, and bravo again to all the participants!
This year was particularly special, not only because of the 15th anniversary of the Monster Concert, but because of the 130thanniversary of the Cecilian Music Club. After the performance, we retired to the historic Molly Pitcher Inn for a celebration. We enjoyed not only delicious food but the warmth of each others’ company as we shared our memories with the Cecilian Club. It was wonderful to hear about so many of your best experiences. I was touched by the heartfelt sincerity of our speakers, and by the variety of beautiful stories that we heard. How incredible to hear about the Club’s life in the 1970s from Lillian Livingston and Bernice and Nathan Cooperman, only to follow this memory with Jennifer Brush’s story about her participation in the first Monster Concert in 1997 as a young girl, long before she had become a Cecilian. The positive energy filled the room with warmth, and it was truly beautiful to see the openness and friendship of the Cecilian family.
Among our speakers were: Lillian Livingston, Bernice and Nathan Cooperman, Barbara Lerro, Alan Wasserman, Yining Wang, Anli Young, Judith Meisels, Karen Mulhall, Phemie Chien, Lillian LoRusso, Lisa Frost Good-All, Jennifer Brush, and Jon Chappell. It was beautiful to see that each of us has found something special in the Club that speaks to us, and has learned through the Club about how we can grow as musicians and human beings. “After all, it is all about the love for music”, as Jon Chappell said, “It is truly the driving force behind all we do."
Thank you all so much for making our celebration so special and truly memorable, and for sharing your experiences. We have a beautiful heritage as a foundation for our future. It will truly be, as Lillian said, “an evening that we will long remember." Bravo, and encore!
Warmly, Marina Strakovsky