What a gorgeous day for an outdoor concert on the Dartmouth waterfront!

Rhapsody Quintet entertained a large crowd (close to 200 people) in the World Peace Pavilion, a structure that has not seen a lot of public programming since it was opened during the G7 Summit of June 1995.

The hour-and-a-half long-concert opened and closed with Beatles’ medleys, with everything from Tango to Klezmer music in between.

Not only was it a thoroughly enjoyable concert, but I learned a few things, too:

1)      There’s something very special about outdoor performances. I was moved by my surroundings: the seagull chorus swooping and hovering in aerial ballet during the Lord of the Rings medley; the  laughter and screeches of children playing on the nearby Kiwanis Playground inter-mixing with the music.

2)      Technology is a huge boon to musicians. Rather than battle sheet music in the wind, Rhapsody Quintet had their music on Apple I-Pads on stands. A push of the pedal changed the page!

3)      While it’s commonly believed that the last song played on the Titanic was “Nearer My God to Thee”, there is evidence to suggest it was actually a waltz called “Dream of Autumn”. (Rhapsody Quintet played it.)

4)      Instrumentation-wise, Rhapsody Quintet is unique. The group consists of piano, violin, cello, double bass and clarinet. Music has to be specially arranged for them.

5)      Social media is a powerful tool. It was conversations on Facebook and Twitter by people concerned about the condition of the Peace Pavilion that inspired the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission to explore programing for the space. Now the word is there will be more free concerts to look forward to in the space next year!