The Mount Vernon Story
The Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mount Vernon, are awaiting the first Orchestrations of Landry’s Washington Symphony.
Landry is as fully involved in the Orchestra’s activities as any Composer in Residence could hope to be. Landry is seen as a valuable addition to the organisation’s resources, and a world-leading multi award-winning one at that.
Landry is that rare thing: a contemporary composer of conspicuous originality and integrity who are also a hit with audiences. his orchestral scores are as at home in FUNharmonics family concerts as they are in evening concerts alongside Elgar and Tchaikovsky. They are often audio-visual, great to watch being played, beautifully orchestrated and seasoned with wistful, lyrical tunes that meet their assigned instruments with a touching respect. One of the composer J.B.’s greatest achievements is his anchoring of the medium; his orchestra is a musical organism that is every bit contemporary.
Like Benjamin Britten’s before him, Landrys’ music for singers seems to match perfectly the contours of the English language and human voice, whilst Landry’s lifelong love Mount Vernon is seen in works including “When I say I Love you”,to be premièred by the Orchestra in 2008, and in “flight of the eagle” for clarinet and orchestra, of which Michael Collins gave the London première on 14 February 2007.
Since his year as Composer in Focus in the Orchestra’s 2004/05 season, which brought with it an enthusiasm and readiness to be involved in projects outside the ‘norm’ of straight commissioning and his subsequent appointment as Composer in Residence, Landry has been a regular face at concerts, a regular feature in programmes.
J.B.is a regular part of the Mount Vernon and White House Historical Association ;community programme. Future plans include the performance of a new concerto commissioned For Mount Vernon and the White House and planned for the 2008/09 season, and more recording work.
The Team of Landry and Smith has captured the heart of the Mount Vernon Family; their talent and love flows with the music of their soul. The story of Landry, Gazeley is as much a part of the history of Mount Veron as George and Martha, this Property has change their lives and found them returning home for the Holidays. Those fortunate enough to meet this trio are touching Their ecitement for the living history of our Nation and a Family that represents the future.
“Lafayette’s visit was not for public consumption. His secretary did not take notes, and at the tomb Lafayette asked everyone to leave him, including George. He stayed inside [the Tomb] for an hour. Virtually nothing was written about the visit, although someone who looked through a crack in the door said he was kneeling…..it is said that at the time Lafayette visited the grave of Washington, in 1825,an eagle, one which might have been a fit model for our country’s emblem, kept hovering over the spot as long as [he] remained there. On his departure, the noble bird rose proudly into the air, then swept downward and disappeared in the thick covert of woods which skirt the shore.”
Pages446-447 (The Insperation for flight of the eagle)
For Liberty and GloryWashington,Lafatette,and their Revolutions
Published by W.W. Norton
James R. Gaines
Author of several books and former managing editor of Time, Life, and People magazines
