'Blackbird,' bluegrass highlight concert

The guest conductor offered an excellent choice of music.
By ROBERT ROLLIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Saturday night's Powers Auditorium Youngstown Symphony Pops Concert was an exceptional event.
Talented clarinetist and guest conductor Carl Topilow, also Cleveland Institute director of orchestras, hosted the dynamic ensemble Time for Three. The group is made up of three classically trained virtuoso Curtis Institute graduates. Violinist Zach DePue is an Ohio native, the youngest son from a Bowling Green string-playing family and especially versed in blue grass and country styles; Nick Kendall, the Japanese-American grandson of the string teacher who introduced the Suzuki violin method to North America; and New Jersey native Ranaan Meyer, a professional jazz player and gifted composer and arranger.
The evening had many outstanding moments. Even though all three musicians tossed off lightning-fast bluegrass and country passages, the true highlight was their soulful instrumental performance of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird." The delicate sounds, including bowed violin harmonics and string bass pizzicato harmonics, were so gorgeous and haunting that McCartney's powerful poetic words concerning equality were not missed. The group's earlier rendition of the pensive folk song "Shenandoah" was also intriguingly touching.
"Blackbird" was followed by a long and wonderful bluegrass combined set of "Jerusalem's Ridge," "Turkey in the Straw" and "Ragtime Annie." Bass player Meyer introduced a lively percussion aspect that provided a drum-set-like rhythmic accompaniment to his prodigious bass lines. Kendall sometimes supported this by tapping the wooden side of his bow on the instrument, a classical device called col legno. DePue played with incredible speed and virtuosity.
Four sections
"The American Suite," arranged by Meyer and the group's final number, was divided into four continuous sections. The first had a good deal of flawless unison playing; the second, called "Mohawk," was a rapid country "Hoedown," the third, named "Hymn," had more of the touching open texture encountered in "Blackbird" and lots of deliciously dissonant suspensions; and the last, a fabulously virtuosic "Orange Blossom Special."
Topilow played his clarinet with astonishing skill, especially in the encore, "Cs & middot;rd & middot;s," a famous gypsy piece. Kendall and Meyer briefly took over beating time to maintain tempo while he performed.
Topilow's conducting skill is prodigious and his choice of music, excellent. He marched in at the concert's onset with a Dixieland ensemble that included himself on clarinet; Chris Krummel, principal trumpet; Mike Crist, principal trombone; and Brian Kiser, principal tuba. All played beautifully and without the aid of music. Especially delightful were Topilow's and the symphony's performances of Copland's "Hoedown" and Bernstein's "Mambo." During the latter, he amused and engaged the audience, cuing it to shout "mambo" several times.
The "Irving Berlin Medley" was also excellent and Sousa's "Liberty Bell March" evoked the English comedy series, Monty Python's Flying Circus. The enthusiastic orchestra was terrific all evening, and the audience was captivated.