[csc_newsline] Concert information

Fri May 28 12:33:21 EDT 2010

Dear Choir,

The venue map to Koka Booth is attached and the concert order is listed
below. The link to the word sheet from Armed Forces Salute is also liste
below or as attached. I have also pasted in a very interesting email that I
received from Amber Farrelly who visited Boston last weekend with details
about the Paul Revere story. See you at 2:15 on Sunday!

http://concertsingers.org/documents/afs-lyrics.pdf

The Star Spangled Banner . Francis Scott Key

Summon the Heroes . John Williams/Lavender

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (5 Movements) . Rene Clausen

Text by H. W. Longfellow

Finale from Symphony No. 2 . Charles Ives/Elkus

Intermission

American Salute . Morton Gould

Hymn to the Fallen . John Williams/Lavender

Old American Songs . Aaron Copland/Silvester

1. Long Time Ago

2. Simple Gifts

Laura Buff, mezzo soprano

Armed Forces Salute . Bob Lowden

America The Beautiful . S. A. Ward/Carmen Dragon

1812 Overture . Tchaikovsky/Lake

With the Triangle Youth Brass Band

Stars and Stripes Forever . J. P. Sousa

Larry,

I just returned from a weekend trip to Boston to visit family and we made a
point of walking the Freedom Trail there from Paul Revere's House to the Old
North Church and across the bridge into Charlestown...then the next day to
the Battleground Road between Lexington and Concord (where Paul Revere's
Ride ended and the battle began). 

While the text of the poem by Longfellow is inaccurate in many places (on
purpose..apparently he researched the events carefully and then used poetic
license with his poem to make it more suspenseful and have better

flow) just seeing the locations and overwhelming odds of that historic event
was very fascinating.  For your information (in case you are not familiar
with old Boston), here are a few highlights (as they pertain to the poem).

You must realize that the Old North Church was (and is) the highest
structure in old Boston.  You also need to know that the British army had
taken over Boston in a quasi-military state.  So there was a strict curfew.
That sets up the events of the evening. 

Paul Revere instructed his friend (the pastor and only key-holder of the Old
North Church - then known as Christ Church) to hang the lanterns in the
belfry depending on if the British came by sea or by land toward
Charlestown.  This was critical because if the British marched by land, they
would add 4 hours of time to their journey.  However, going by sea was much
faster, and potentially much more quiet.  So after curfew that night, the
town really was dark and quiet because nobody was allowed 

outside.   Hence you can see why Longfellow spent time developing the 

'quiet' portion of the poem.  That curfew was critical to the story.

So when Paul Revere's friend (the pastor of the church) heard the troops
mustering outside in the streets, he knew they were on the move and he had
to get to the church to light the signal.  Hence, he pondered the darkness
and quiet as if "all is well" within Boston-town as the troops were the only
people allowed outdoors and they were trying to be as stealthy as possible.
Clearly, he understood what his signal would indicate to the Patriots, and
he knew that death would occur because of his actions.  A difficult decision
indeed.

But you see, while the citizens in Charlestown could see the lanterns while
they hung (for _only_ one minute before being extinguished) so did the
British occupying forces.  And they raced to the church to find it locked,
but alas they knew only one man had the key.  Thankfully, he escaped by
jumping out a back window (now called the Freedom Window) and was not
caught...with no proof that the lanterns hung, he was never punished for
this 'crime'.  So the British knew not what the signal meant (but they had
all seen it).

Meanwhile, Paul Revere was rowed to the other side of the bay (to
Charlestown...ahead of the British) where he borrowed a horse from a friend
and took off on his journey.  His critical mission was to warn Sam Adams and
John Hancock of the British troop movements so they could escape to safety.
This he accomplished.  But realize that there was ONLY ONE ROAD to
Lexington/Concord where there was a stash of munitions that the Patriots had
amassed (and the British knew this and were heading to destroy it).  Hence
the critical nature of his journey was to warn the Patriots in the
countryside, or all their planning would be lost.  And he had to make this
ride as quietly as possible so as not to be caught breaking curfew.  I
imagine his ride, while heart-pounding, was also a very heavy weight on him.
Thankfully, there were about 12 other riders doing the same thing (most of
whose names have been lost to

time) to ensure the message delivery. 

In the end, Revere did _not_ make it to Concord.  He (and two other riders
with him) were caught by the British, accused of breaking curfew, and sent
back to Boston without his horse.  A mighty long walk indeed.  

Thankfully, the British did not know the nature of his riding, and they did
not manage to capture the other two riders, one of whom made it to Concord
to warn the Minutemen in time.  This is why the Minutemen (or country folk
in the poem) were ready to attack the British on their journey to-and-from
Concord (on that single solitary road...by peppering them with munitions
from behind the old road wall) and hence start the Revolutionary War.

Here is a link to the poem in it's entirety.  It truly is fascinating!

http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html

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