Back in September 2001, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet was invited to perform Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto Andaluz" in Madrid, Spain. It was part of the official celebration of the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth.

Rodrigo's piece lost nothing in the translation in Lancaster. The version brought to Lancaster by the Quartet's John Dearman, Scott Tennant, Andrew York and William Kanengiser evoked imagery of the beautiful skies of Spain's Andalusia aswell as capturing the vibrant notes that come from its Moorish traditions. Listening to the music, the audience could imagine the bull and matador facing each other as well as the Flamenco dancers celebrating life at the end of the piece.

The crowd of approximately 850 people in St. Mary Church gave the quartet a resounding standing ovation and would not let them leave until they came back and tightened their strings for an encore. Keeping with the Andalusian theme, they played their rendition of Manuel de Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance."

Eleanor Hood, one of the organizers of The Lancaster Festival, said bringing the LAGQ to Lancaster was something The Festival committee thought would be great. It's normal to have four guitars in an orchestra setting like this," Hood said.

But the idea went over in a big way for the audience members. "I think it was great," said Bob Wright, Lancaster. "When The Festival brings something different like this, it breaks up the monotony and creates a greater interest in all forms of music. They were really very good."

The concert was opened by Maestro Gary Sheldon and the Lancaster Festival Chamber Orchestra playing Weber's "Overture to Oberon" and finished with Brahms' "Symphony No. 3 in F Major."

The audience ended the evening with a standing ovation for the Festival Chamber Orchestra. For Judy and Spike Black of Sarasota, Fla., the concert was great. "I really enjoyed it very much," Judy said. "I really like the setting, being in a church. It's really very beautiful."

Spike said he had family in Lancaster and planned a vacation to the area to coincide with The Festival. "We wanted to come back and be able to attend a couple of the concerts," Spike said. "The L.A. Guitar Quartet were very good, and the orchestra was great."

©