Remembering Rochester
It seems like only yesterday that I was experiencing an extreme case of déjà vu as I stepped off my final of three flights into Rochester airport, having been there only 7 months before for the American Theatre Organ Society’s Annual Convention, where I took part (and won!) the Young Theatre Organist Competition. This prize came with an invitation to play for the Rochester Theatre Organ Society in their annual concert featuring the YTOY winner and the “Eastman Bunch”, i.e. the talented organ students from the Eastman School of Music. I was also delighted to perform a solo concert and silent film at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda.
This trip in particular will remain a highlight of my career for quite some time as it presented me with some “firsts” and unforgettable memories.
Opening up the second half of the concert in the Rochester Auditorium with “I Belong to Glasgow”.
I was absolutely blown away by the incredible talents of the “Eastman Bunch”, all extremely proficient classical organists in their own right who had managed to turn their hand to the very different style of theatre organ playing. It was a delight to join them on stage, as I performed the second half of the concert in the gorgeous Rochester Auditorium. I will never forget the moment I turned to the audience after my opening number (which was, of course, “I Belong to Glasgow”) to see the venue in all its glory with a very enthusiastic and warm audience.
As the trip was rather short, I didn’t have much of a chance to explore Rochester this time round, though found myself in awe of how much snow had fallen, much to the amusement of the locals! My wonderful hosts, Russ Shaner and Thomas Gaulke, always made sure that I was very well fed as we tasted the delights of several American eateries on our travels.
The second concert in North Tonawanda holds a very special place in my heart, as this was my first solo concert on US soil. As we turned the corner onto Webster Street, I couldn’t believe my eyes: my name in lights! This, of course, resulted in the necessary photoshoot to ensure the moment was immortalised!
I spent the afternoon rehearsing and setting up the organ, managed to fit in a quick bite at the Irish Pub next door, before changing into my glad rags to begin the concert.
It was in this concert I also learned one of my most valuable lessons: when the organ console is on a lift, always make sure to rehearse this! Unfortunately, I just assumed the organ would life a few inches to bring it in to view, but instead it kept rising and rising, to the point I wondered if it would ever stop! Fortunately, it stopped up at stage level and provided me with a good ice breaker to use with my first solo audience.
During the intermissions of both concerts, I got to speak to many members of the audiences and was pleasantly surprised at how many of them had Scottish relatives, some of whom lived only a stone-throw away from me; at no point during my trip did I feel like I actually was three thousand miles away from home.
I consider myself very fortunate that I managed to have such an unforgettable trip in 2020 before the chaos of COVID-19 really kicked in. I sincerely hope it’s not too long before I’m back to travelling to new and exciting places, perhaps even a return trip to Rochester and North Tonawanda in the hopefully not-too-distant future.
My thanks to all of the people who helped make the trip a reality and who made me feel so welcome in each venue.
