The Recital

The Recital was absolutely beautiful!  My Niece Ashley Rader performed like an Angel singing in Heaven. She is so gifted that you can sit and listen to her sing forever.  Her College recital was held on May 14, 2010 at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, FL.  I was very lucky to be there as I was only driving through town that day on my way to Tallahassee when my plans were changed about two hours before her recital was to begin.  Thrilled I could be there, I dashed about getting my things together and plans made for the next day's photo shoot.  Finally I could relax for a little while, so I joined my parents, brothers and the rest of the family for a great evening of music! 

Ashley was impressive with her soprano voice, her forte's and breath control were amazing.  Her different language's were intriguing and I will never know the words on some of the songs, but they had to be a fabulous message according to her facial and body movements. Accompanied by Elizabeth Godfrey Ford on the piano she presented "Aria, Batti batti, o bel Masetto by Mozart, "La Vie en rose" by Louis Guglielmi, among other pieces by Schubert, Yeston, Sondheim, Handel and Puccini. One song included a duet with a wonderful baritone joining her, Clinton McCormick did a great job with Ashley on "La ci darem la mano".  She also included some awesome jazz songs with her Dad or my also known as my brother Billy on the guitar, her brother Shawn on the drums and Neil Gray played the electric upright bass, he did a great job as well.  I had a few favorite selections, but "Fever" was incredible with that drum beat and smoothness of all working together to have that unity needed when performing live on stage!  I especially loved "The Girl From Ipanema" as it is one of my favorites. The whole evening was incredible.

Ashley will have quite a road ahead of her as she is leaving to start a new path this fall.  She will be attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA!  She was accepted and will be departing in August from her family to begin this new adventure.  I wish her well, I wish her much success and when she achieves those goals, I wish she remembers me, her little old Aunt that dearly loves her! 

COLLAGE OF THE EVENING created by myself

Ashley singing her heart out!

Ashley & Clinton

Ashley and her accompianist, Elizabeth Godfrey Ford

The band

A stage shot during the jazz portion

I loved her face in this picture!

All photo's were made by myself, Debbie Rader-Clanton in this blog plus many many more!

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