On a picture-perfect evening, the Sound Symphony Orchestra took to the Village Green of the Caroline Episcopal Church in historic Setauket and filled the Three Village air with music from its diverse songbook.
The 300 Lights Pops concert was free and part of the church’s 300-year anniversary celebration, which coincided with the arrival of a welcomed autumnal chill that replaced a sticky heat wave that had been in place on Long Island for more than a week.
Under the direction of maestro Dorothy Savitch, the 60-piece orchestra, many of whom are former Comsewogue High School musicians, delighted the crowd with tunes from the likes of Mozart, Cyndi Lauper, Puccini and George Gershwin – just to name a few.
One of the highlights of the evening was the appearance of world-renown soprano Stefanie Izzo, who belted out arias from “Così fan tutte” and “La bohème” that drew warm and sustained applause from the crowd of about 300 that filled the great lawn.
Overlooking the Setauket Village Green, the Caroline Episcopal Church of Setauket’s congregation started in 1723 and the church building was erected in 1729. It is listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places, and in addition to this free concert, it has marked its tricentennial with plaque unveilings, historical lectures and special sermons and services.
On Sunday, hundreds of white lanterns lit the perimeter of the grounds and as the late summer afternoon turned to dusk, they shone more conspicuously around the venue. The music started with a medley of hits from the musical “Grease,” which of course included the smash hit “Summer Lovin’”. Soon after, Izzo took to the stage.
In addition to her singing, Izzo cheerfully explained the settings, characters and context of the arias for the benefit of the opera-uninitiated.
The soprano has studied languages and performed recitals in Italy, Germany and Austria, and was chosen as the first-ever recipient of the National Italian American Foundation’s Andrea Bocelli Music Scholarship. Along with her solo work, Izzo is a co-founder of the Queens-based chamber group The Astoria Music Project, which has been hailed by critics as possessing a “flawless soprano” and a “gorgeously rich and full sound” for her work in opera and musical theatre. She was nothing short of that on this Sunday in Setauket, with her rendering of the works of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Gershwin.
The orchestra was also pitch-perfect, led by Savitch, who also serves as the director of the Brooklyn Conservatory’s Music Partner’s Program, which provides hands-on musical training to nearly 5,000 New York City schoolchildren. She has been the musical director of SSO since 1997, and during that 26-year period, the orchestra has grown into one the finest community ensembles in the New York metropolitan area, receiving high praise for their vibrant performances and expansive repertoire.
This night certainly could be counted on that list. Another major highlight was the “Armed Forces Salute Medley.” Savitch encouraged the military veterans to stand up when they heard the song of their branch of service. She led the band in “Anchors Aweigh,” “The U.S. Air Force,” “The Marines’ Hymn” and “The Army Goes Rolling Along.”
The crowd gave each person who stood up during the 7-minute medley a round of applause in gratitude for their service to the nation.
AN EVENING OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
