7,000 Attend Pops Concert Presented by Henry Mancini

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, August 11, 1970

Henry Mancini doing Mancini and friends with friends tells the story of the fabulous concert Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. And if this doesn’t become an annual August Sunday afternoon event at SPAC, I will picket.

More than 7,000 attended the pops concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra with the super-talented Mancini at the podium, piano, microphone and wandering all across the front of the stage. He is a personable, outgoing, humble, humorous and handsome young man, who may very well be this country’s greatest current modern music man – Bert Bacharach notwithstanding.

Some 36 songs were presented and nearly all were by Mancini with all selections were arranged by him in the inimitable, rich, full sound so synonymous with the name of Mancini.

His way with a haunting lovely melody such as “Two For the Road,” “Days Of Wine andRoses,” “Dear Heart” and “Moon River,” is unforgettable but equally delightful is the Mancini musical spoofing for “Pink Panther,” “Baby Elephant Walk,” “Pie In the Face Polka,” “Drummer’s Delight” and “The Stripper.” The latter proved a real laugh-getter twice, no less, first when it was used as Mancini shed his soaked grey suit jacket to reveal an equally wet flaming pink shirt (“Don’t worry, that’s all I’m taking off”), and then again when it became the encore and final number for the great program.

Mancini alternated at the podium and at the piano. A special tribute in seven songs was paid to Victor Young, a longtime friend of Mancini’s, and later in the program, six foreign film songs were played in a magnificent medley.

Mancini’s ambitious and very fine three-movement “Beaver Valley” was one of the high points of the afternoon. He explained it recalls memories of his childhood in the Pennsylvania area of the same name and was written for the Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded a year ago.

First public performance was given of his “Cameo for Violin,” also on the same album, and featuring one of my favorites of all fivesummers, Norman Carol, the orchestra’s concertmaster. Mr. Carol has a beautiful touch and is a most accomplished violinist. Sunday he was heard in portions of several tunes and this added a great deal to the enjoyment of the entire afternoon. Also featured in several selections was the assistant conductor and an excellent pianist, William Smith, still talking backstage excitedly about the fabulous success of his Philadelphia Baroque Quintet’s recent debut at Dannemora Prison.

Mancini joked frequently with the orchestra members and they, in turn, were beaming and quite obviously having a ball throughout the concert. Whether the orchestra and we in audience are ready for Chopin or Debussy or Beethoven next, who knows?

Saturday night’s concert closed with Ravel’s intoxicating “Bolero,” and those who enjoyed that performance observed Sunday, “Well, the orchestra is picking right up Sunday afternoon on the same note we left with Saturday night.”

Mancini got a standing ovation at the end and admitted, “This had never happened to me in the daytime before and I do thank you.” He urged the audience to give a special round of applause to the orchestra, which he termed, “the finest orchestra in the world.”

Observing the utter rapture and attentiveness of the huge audience Sunday listening to this wonderful program of great contemporary American music in the “pops” vein, veteran SPAC goers could not help but recall the first time, seasons back, that a popular program was attempted for a Sunday afternoon in keeping with the age-old practice at Tanglewood.

At that time, the downcry far outweighed the accolades and there were comments that “this type of music was not meant for the SPAC stage” but perhaps the now infamous visit of Jimmy Morrison and the Doors may have squelched that forever. Certainly Sunday’s enthusiastic crowd was proof of the rightful place of such a program of Mancini music.