Live Music in Uncertain Times
Martha Frampton for Music at Bunker Hill 8/19/20
As we all adjust to the new normal, arts organizations have to think outside the box. See how Music at Bunker Hill stepped out of its comfortable indoors venue into a local park to present classical music in a safe environment.
Artistic Director William Frampton led the concert series in this new direction. Here is his account:
I have never organized a concert on less than 40 days notice before 2020.
Covid-19 has shut down the music industry in North America and in most of the world. August is typically a busy month for music festivals and concerts, but where most Augusts see thousands of concerts, I believe only a handful of organized, live classical concerts have taken place in North America.
I was thrilled to learn that Washington Township was going to host concerts at their beautiful Washington Lake Park Amphitheater with social distancing markings drawn on the lawn. I was even more thrilled that the parks department was able to offer Music at Bunker Hill a date, and I happened to speak with American Symphony Orchestra Executive Director, Oliver Inteeworn, on that same day, little more than one month before the concert date. ASO’s willingness to organize and advertise this concert in conjunction with Music at Bunker Hill and Washington Township made the momentum towards this concert inevitable, and opened up opportunities to
reach both live and digital audiences, as most concerts with medium budgets in our new reality should.
Luckily, Music at Bunker Hill’s first outdoor concert took place on a rare cool summer evening, and the event was a huge success.
Four string players from ASO performed a concert of works by Nino Rota, Samuel Barber, and George Walker for an audience of 200. The open park venue allowed the audience to relax with family and friends in complete freedom, unlike the more formal indoor venue. Children could walk around or even ride a scooter to the music.
The partnership with ASO paired professional musicians and staff from New York City with our South Jersey residents. Parks staff Lisa Collins, Nick Fiorentino and his team, and Frank Silva of Proaudio NJ kept things running smoothly.
Local civic leader Vicky Binetti and the Creative Team of Sustainable Washington Township presented the Gallery in The Park, a display of more than 40 art works by New Jersey artists.The current exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and is the culmination of over a year of planning. The concert schedule drove the project to the finish line so the
Gallery would be ready for the music audience. The Gallery itself provides a timely opportunity for visitors to enjoy art in a spacious outdoor setting.
Lovely weather in a peaceful setting, beautiful music for the ears, and pleasing artworks to appreciate – this was a great night for all the senses. The new normal can be pretty good.
Cyrus Berkhoumin, Richard Rood, Alberto Parrini, William Frampton Photo credit Marc Basch for the American Symphony
Orchestra