Editor,

I am not really qualified to write a “review” of the Effingham Community Orchestra Saturday night (March 9) concert. Though I have been a supporter of the group for many years, I was not very familiar with the four composers performed listed in their flyer (Robert W. Smith, Astrud Gilberto, Chick Corea, and Sammy Nestico, so I sampled some of each on YouTube.

I did recognize some of Gilberto’s songs, such as “The Girl From Epanema” (actually written by Antonio Carlos Jobin and Norman Gimbel). I know that Corea was a jazz pianist, and was impressed by him, as well as the others.

The concerts I have been to in the past have all been lovely, combining light classical music with holiday tunes and popular songs of many eras. This one was unique in many ways, with very challenging music that may not have been familiar to many of us.

The orchestra has been growing and improving all these years. The only downside is the sound system. The spoken words by Conductor Patterson, as well as the drummer, were very hard to hear. But overall, the music was beautifully performed. Some of my favorite moments wee the flute and piccolo parts, as well as the drummer. And after each section I was thinking, or even saying out loud, “Wow!” or “Beautiful!”

Many thanks to all of you for adding a new musical experience to my life!

Elaine C. Dasher

Guyton