A decade well spent in Savannah

 

Sherrill and his mother Thelma, Maria as Anna Hunter, Alice Ryley Cover

D-Do,D-Don't and Marie from Birthday Clown, Alice Ryley marketing, with Sherrill

Stairs at Davenport House, Jess Best as Alice, during COVID

This week, I ended a decade long period as composer-in-residence at Savannah Voice Festival. This has been in the works for a couple of years. I think c-in-r positions need to change to allow different perspectives, different musical styles. 

It was a fruitful association, including:

    * ALICE RYLEY, about Savannah in 1735

    * ANNA HUNTER, Savannah in the first half of the 20th century

    * BIRTHDAY CLOWN, about a performer finding their audience in an unexpected place.

    * A ROYAL FEAST, a sequel to Rossini's LA CENERENTOLA

In addition there were many arrangements, a few art songs, and a production of SPEED DATING TONIGHT! One fun thing was setting to music a letter that Thelma Milnes (Sherrill's mother) wrote to her future husband. 

I'm not entirely gone from Savannah. Next summer we will do a full production of A ROYAL FEAST, which was previously done in a COVID-restricted workshop premiere. 

Some favorite memories: 

Sherrill telling me not to write Mozart style play-offs so that the emotional high points of the arias were the last notes onstage. 

Learning that the squares in Savannah were rounded off in the 20th century... for cars. 

Making life long friends with my hosts, Neil and Patti Victor. 

Figuring out that the organizational model of SVF was the Greek Family: noisy, boisterous, emotional, on the surface chaotic but pulling things off in style. 

Sitting on the veranda looking at the marsh at the Andersons and the many casual get-togethers there. 

Tracking down Anna Hunter's paintings all over town and meeting a few people who had met her. 

Standing in Wright Square listening to the "tour guides" tell me all sorts of misinformation about Alice Ryley. 

Working with Maria Zouves 

Commuting on the ferry across the river

Playing melodica and singing arias on Broughton Street. 

Any meeting in the Foxy Loxy Courtyard. 

Watching John Tisbert rehearse with his Garrison School Choruses.

Watching from the piano while Andrew Bisantz conducted ALICE RYLEY

Bicycling through Forsyth Park.

The arrival of the drone in BIRTHDAY CLOWN

Thank you Savannah Voice Festival!

I close with Sherrill Milnes' favorite lines from my tenure, from ANNA HUNTER: 

                I did what I could while I was still around. 

                Now it's up to you to keep this town... 

                keep Savannah Savannah.