LYONS - As I made my way across Planet Bluegrass with the sun setting on Steamboat Mountain, I was just absolutely taken by the beauty of the space. The colors of fall have begun to set, shades of electric yellow and peachy reds dawning on the trees. The magnificent rock walls that tower over the St. Vrain River were even changing color.
Perched right against the running water is an intricately built wooden barn-like space called the Wildflower Pavilion. It was here that we were to experience Americana: Redefined with the Boulder Philharmonic Quartet.
Folks mingled and enjoyed wine, beer, and local spirits as we waited for the show to begin. The stage sat in colorful lighting with four empty seats and music stands. The lights went down low, and the four musicians took their seats on stage.
Consisting of four string instruments, the quartet was made up of Stephanie Bork on the violin, Robyn Sosa also on violin, Mary Cowell on the viola and Charles Lee, who seemed to be the band leader, on cello.
From the moment that the bows touched their strings, I could feel my entire nervous system relax. I could tell by the vibe of the room, that everyone else felt the same. The notes danced through the room so effortlessly, as this venue was carefully crafted to harvest sound.
This show was carefully crafted to create a trip through American history in string music. We began the journey with a number called Appalachia Waltz, which my Virginia roots were partial to. This was written by a fiddle player that often rotates through my music playlist, Mark O’Connor.
The talent on stage was very obvious as they played through multiple different genres including Irish fiddle tunes, which were a huge influence on the American fiddle, and even a tune composed by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, which was quite different! As a musician myself, I was quite taken back by their skills.
Perhaps my favorite presentation was a piece called "At the Purchaser’s Option" written by Rhiannon Giddens, another artist that constantly rotates through my music selections. She is a member of the popular band Carolina Chocolate Drops.
The subject of the piece was heavy to hear. Lee explained the origin of this piece was basically setting the stage for selling slaves. The purchaser's option meant that if a slave also had a child, you had the option of purchasing them as well.
Although hard to hear and imagine, it’s very important for us to reflect on our past and the impact that African Americans had on American music. Lee explained how it was ironic in the way that the song is so non-chalant and light. He felt it was important to include this piece because it represented just how normal this kind of purchase was at one point in our history.
You could feel the deep emotion rolling off the musician’s instruments. Everyone sat in complete silence and stillness, and although you could tell the feelings were heavy, the round of applause at the end showed it really made its impact.
When the talented group finished their last piece, they all stood up and took not one, not two, but three bows to the audience as we all clapped enthusiastically for the performance. You could feel joy permeating through the room. There is just something so organic about acoustic string music and the setting complimented the music.
Leaving the venue, the lights surrounding the building softly illuminating the natural setting around us, was just so lovely. I had to take a moment to go sit by the river and reflect on what I’d just experienced.
I left the show feeling calm, fulfilled and proud to be a musician in America.
The Boulder Philharmonic will be putting on another show at the Wildflower Pavilion on Wednesday, October 22, called Mixtape. This program will feature classical takes on modern music such as Ed Sheeran, Radiohead, and Chappel Roan alongside other bold works by under-represented composers.
I highly recommend experiencing the Boulder Philharmonic at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado. They will surely put on a great show, wherever they are, but this setting compliments them so well. Not to mention, it is a beautiful drive if you take the Peak to Peak Highway and saunter down St. Vrain Canyon.
