2010 Festival filled with French delights

“Vive la France!”, Our Fourth Annual Greenwood Music Festival was a huge success, with attendance of people from nine states and England. The opening night audience was ushered into Greenwood Community Theatre by the Emerald Brass, and then enchanted by the opera “Beauty and the Beast”. Fantastic singers from the world of opera, orchestra, period costumes, and fairy-tale sets along with English titles projected on the side of the stage (for our sung French text) delighted the crowd. Afterwards, everyone walked over to the Arts Center for a “Let Them Eat Cake!” Reception catered by Friends and family of the Greenwood Music Festival, and Cake Décor. SC State Senator Floyd Nicholson and his wife Maime were in attendance and he even helped serve punch during the Reception! A wonderful evening of lovely French music and delectable desserts! (Photos by TM James/Index Journal)

The GreenWood Winds, featured in a scene of the opera, played a special concert at the Greenwood Museum before the showing of the classic 1938 film Marie Antoinette at GCT. Pianist Douglas Weeks brought his artistry, skill, and incredible virtuosity to a concert of Beethoven and Chopin at the Arts Center at the Federal Building on Saturday evening. The MLK Jr. Mass Choir sang spirituals and gospel music at First Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon. And Susanna Phillips, a Metropolitan Opera star and the 2010 Beverly Sills Artist of the Year, gave an outstanding concert of French songs and arias and English songs, along with pianist Yasuko Oura at the Arts Center on Monday Evening. It was a spectacular finale to our French-inspired Festival.

We hope you enjoyed this fourth season of the Greenwood Music Festival, and look forward to hopefully seeing you for our world premiere children’s opera Mooch the Messy at the grand opening festivities in September of the new Greenwood County Library. Thanks to all our wonderful artists, our incredible Music Director and Conductor Lynn Baker, orchestra members, instrumentalists, co-sponsors, patrons, friends and family, and our many volunteers for making this season a tremendous success. Have a terrific year and see you in September for Mooch!