Celebrate my 65th birthday on Classical WMHT as they air my “Suite Poughkeepsie” this Sunday Feb 4 at 11:40am ET. Listen at 89.1 FM in New York’s Capital Region and 88.7 FM in Poughkeepsie, NY. It can also be heard live on the internet on https://www.wmht.org/player/
This tribute to my hometown was premiered by the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in 1999 for the bicentennial of the founding of the Village of Poughkeepsie. This recording from 2000 is by Seattle Music Inc. under the direction of the late Joel Eric Suben. It features musical scenes of Poughkeepsie as it would be recognized today:
1) A Night at The Bardavon – the city’s premiere theater
2) The Pioneers vs. The Warriors – the city’s two high schools, pitted against each other as rivals
3) The Soldier’s Memorial Fountain – an elegy to the city’s fallen
4) A Feast at The Italian Center – a tarantella for the city’s Italian community
5) A Wedding from Vassar Chapel – a foray into the Arlington section of the city
6) Between the Bridges at Sunset – An image from Waryas Park of the sun going down between the Mid Hudson Bridge and the old railroad bridge, now the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park
Photography by Michael Polito. Album artwork by Todd Poteet