String students to share works in concert

By Don Webb

Published: May 29, 2008

From staff reports

More than 45 area string musicians will perform next month as part of the ninth Latchum Music and Sound Recital.
Under the direction of Leigh Latchum — who also serves as concert master of the Danville Symphony Orchestra —the violin, viola and cello students of Latchum Music and Sound will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Timberlake Baptist Church, 356 Lindhurst Drive, Danville.

Leigh Latchum, concertmaster of the Danville Symphony Orchestra, teaches area children and adults the art and joy of playing the violin, cello and viola.

“I have told my students year after year to continue practicing their pieces until they believe they could play it in their sleep,” Latchum said. “And to remember to always perform the piece as if it was the first and last time the audience would hear it. This year I have required everyone to keep to a classical theme; pieces have been chosen specifically to stretch each player’s abilities.”

One local student, Anne Penn Cox, 17, of Danville , probably did not know what she was getting into when she told her parents 13 years ago she wanted to play the violin. After all, she was only 4 at the time and completely unaware that she would one day soon be expected to stand on a stage in full concert attire performing in front of 350 people.
This she has done for the past eight recitals. Cox will be performing a classical duet along with her instructor, Leigh Latchum.

The piece, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, is entitled “Violin Concerto for Two Violins in d minor.”
Cox has occasionally performed with the Danville Symphony Orchestra, but principally served as concert master for George Washington High School during her three years in attendance. This will be her graduating recital piece.

Also performing is the newest student to the Latchum studio, 5-year-old Christopher Martin of Danville, who will be marking his first public performance.
Martin began studying with Latchum only three months ago and will perform on a one-fourth sized violin.
He has loved the instrument so much and practiced so diligently that his family has begun looking for a larger sized violin for their son to grow into.
Martin is the third son of John and Rosemary Martin of Danville.

“The piece I’m playing is very pretty,” said Martin, who will perform “Twinkle, Twinkle,” from Book 1 Suzuki, song #1.

“Mrs. Latchum has taught me how to hold the violin and pull the bow straight. But I really like doing it by myself without anyone’s help,” he added.
Morgan Taylor Oakes, 14, of Danville, began playing the violin a year later than her school mates. In the Danville school system children begin learning an instrument in the fifth grade, but Morgan started in the sixth.

She has progressed so rapidly she now performs as a first violinist with the school orchestra at GWHS.
“My piece this year is very long and detailed,” Morgan said, “and reflects music from the Baroque Period, 1600-1750. It was written by George F. Handel and is the most difficult piece I have had to memorize to date.”

Mary Bidgood, 15, of Danville, has been taking violin lessons from Latchum Music and Sound for eight years.

She is now performing in Book 4 Suzuki and is working on the Bach Double Violin Concerto. Mary will be performing a piece entitled “The Boy Paganini” by
Mollenhouer.

“The piece requires many advanced musical techniques such as higher positions on the violin, arpeggios, natural harmonics and bow tricks,” said Bidgood, who performs with her sister Bethany with the Danville Symphony Orchestra.

Ranging in age from 5-year-old Christopher Martin to 86-year-oldVirginia Holley, the recital will feature the skills and musicians at various levels of development.
Mrs. Holley will be performing “Panis Angelicus” by Cesar Franck.

“I enjoy performing in the recitals because I feel it may be an inspiration to the audience. There’s plenty of life to be lived after 70, and I’m living proof,” Holley said.

The Latchum Music and Sound Recital will also feature area musicians Key and Noah Blackwell, The Robert Kelly Boys, Timothy and Nicholas Matherly, Rebecca Stevens, Jackson Heard, David Jones, Kathryn Evans, Delos and Jonas Boyer, Creath Young, Sarah Catherine Johnson, Walter Sease, Rachel Kendrick,
Will Byrnes, Meredith Meissner, Joan Shelton, Noah Graydon, Abigail and Adam Carpenter, Corbin Holder, Rebecca and Douglass Dey, Doug Stovall, Junis Williams, Monica Gomez, Rebecca Daniels, John Robinson and Sophie Liverman, among many others.

The recital continues to be a juried recital, which means several musically gifted community individuals will be part of a panel offering constructive criticism on performances, including Charles G. Ellis, conductor of the Danville Symphony Orchestra; Amanda Mossey, orchestra and strings teacher at Bonner and Westwood middle schools; as well as Danville Symphony violinists, Dr. Stephen Eggleston, Jim Goble, Peggy Talbott, and Catherine Wiles of Eden.

The recital is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall of the church.

For more information about the recital, call (434) 792-2287.