An encore and standing ovation were testimony to the delight the audience took in the May 20th Feria concert at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro.  The concert will be repeated on May 25 at St. Mary's in the Mountains in Wilmington, VT, which event will also feature flutist Robin Matathias performing Enesco’s Cantabile et Presto accompanied by Hugh Keelan on piano, and organist Michael Pennington playing J.S. Bach's Chorale Prelude "O innocent Lamb of God".

Feria, meaning “festival”, is a series of celebratory days in Spain, including the famous “running of the bulls” in Pamplona.  Several ferias are held throughout Spain, and the Windham Philharmonic joined in the celebrations with a program featuring Maurice Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole.

Ravel, though born in France, was influenced by his mother’s Basque heritage, as evidenced by his popular Bolero.  Rapsodie espagnole is his first work composed specifically for orchestra; Ravel composed a habanera (dance) in 1895, then later wrote three companion pieces, publishing the four together as the Rapsodie.