THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996 TAG: 9605090048
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE VANHECKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
THE FIRST year Sam Dorsey became involved with the Tidewater Classical Guitar Society, the fledgling group had an operating budget of just $600.
Now, a decade later, the non-profit organization boasts membership of several hundred, brings some of the finest guitarists in the world to Hampton Roads and commissions new material from internationally renowned composers.
``The growth has been really amazing,'' said Dorsey, a guitarist, educator and Guitar Society president. ``One of the reasons we've been so successful is that several (society members), from studying and so forth, knew a lot of really great players. Because we're a small, emerging group, we got particularly great artist fees, people were very kind to us. And we have an audience here that really seems to enjoy this kind of programming.''
One of those great players, Michael Lorimer, with whom Dorsey and many of the Guitar Society's top-name performers have studied, will appear in Norfolk and Williamsburg this weekend. Lorimer's program includes the world premiere of ``Postcards From Spain,'' a new work by Thea Musgrave, commissioned by the Guitar Society.
The pairing of Musgrave - a composer widely known for operas like ``Mary, Queen of Scots,'' the ballet score for ``Beauty and the Beast'' and countless orchestral and instrumental works - and noted baroque guitarist Lorimer, who is a protege of celebrated Spanish classical guitarist Andres Segovia, was only natural, Dorsey explained.
``I'd heard Michael years ago say that even though Thea Musgrave has written for the guitar very successfully that she was still interested in writing for guitar again,'' Dorsey said. ``Also, I know Michael to be a great consultant for composers - Michael can sight-read anything and is so clear-minded.''
That Musgrave and Lorimer are longtime friends who even keep apartments in the same Manhattan building probably didn't hurt the collaboration either.
The Scottish-born Musgrave, who is married to Virginia Opera general director Peter Mark, started on ``Postcards'' after finishing her 1992 opera ``Simon Bolivar.'' A first draft of the piece was completed last summer. Musgrave and Lorimer have been fine-tuning it ever since, much to Dorsey's satisfaction.
``To commission someone of her stature,'' he explained, ``I wanted to assure by the design of the process the creation of a piece that would stay in the (guitar) literature. Though we have a lot of great music, we still could augment our repertoire. We have to do that by careful encouragement of composers.
``To assure that a hundred years from now people are hearing the classics from our time, we have to create them; it won't just happen by itself.''
The growing popularity of the society's concerts - recent appearances by Badi Assad, the Brazilian jazz fusion guitarist, and Manuel Barrueco, who has collaborated with tenor Placido Domingo on a forthcoming album, were sell-outs - has prompted a move to a larger Norfolk venue. Lorimer will perform in the theater at the maritime museum Nauticus.
``It's an exciting change of venue,'' Dorsey said.
And one that could attract some new faces, because, as Dorsey points out, you don't have to be an arts connoisseur to appreciate a Guitar Society concert.
``Everyone can relate to the guitar,'' he said, ``it is the most popular instrument in the world. So for a lot of people, the guitar is a very friendly, very familiar gateway through which you can travel through the world of art music.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by IRENE YOUNG
Guitarist Michael Lorimer will perform Friday in Norfolk.
[Info Box]
CONCERT FACTS
Who: Michael Lorimer, presented by the Tidewater Classical
Guitar Society
When, where: 8 p.m. Friday at the theater in Nauticus, the
National Maritime Center, in Norfolk, and 8 p.m. Saturday at
Williamsburg Regional Library.
Tickets: $10; students and seniors, $7. 625-2411
by CNB