Olympic Musical Gold - Part 3

In Part 1 I outlined the strange history of the arts competitions at the modern Olympic Games. From 1912 through 1948 medals were given for classical music compositions (when merited). So what did these works sound like? Did they encapsulate the Olympic ideal?

In Part 2, I looked at two of the four winners (whose Olympic music I was able to find), from the 1928 and 1932 games. This installment I present medalists from the 1936 and 1948 games -- the final one for the arts competition events.

I have no way of knowing this, but when I survey the winner's list for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, it looks like the fix was in. That year the music composition category was divided into three events; Solo and Chorus, Instrumental, and Orchestral. There were no medals awarded for Instrumental, but the other two categories were a different story.

Germany swept the Solo and Chorus event:  Paul Hoffer "Olympic Vow" (Gold), Kurt Thomas "Olympic Cantata 1936" (Silver), Harald Genzmer "The Runner" (Bronze).

And the Orchestral event looks a little fishy, too. Werner Egk won the Gold for Germany with his "Olympic Festive Music," Lino Liviabelle from Axis ally Italy took Silver for "The Victor," and  Bronze going to Czech composer Jaroslav Kricka for "Mountain Suite." (Czechoslovakia would become part of the Third Reich within two years).

What does Werner Egk's "Olympic Festive Music" sound like. Quite odd, actually. I had expected something martial and imperial.  Instead, Egk turns in a sparse work that seems to owe more to Stravinsky and Weill than Wagner. Werner Egk (1901-1983), despite his modernist tendencies, enjoyed a successful career in Nazi Germany (although he never joined the party). Most of his major works were composed after the war, but this march actually presages what was to come.



John Weinzweig (1913-1986) was a prominent Canadian composer. His "Divertimento No. 1 for Flute and Strings" won Silver at the 1948 Olympic games in London. It was the highest-placing work in the Instrumental and Chamber Music event. Weinzweig wrote prolifically for the CBC, and also scored several Canadian films. The bulk of his compositions were for orchestra, although his output for chamber ensembles is also quite large. This divertimento proved to be the first of a series of eleven that he wrote for a solo instrument with string orchestra accompaniment.

The work itself is quite melodic, with some piquant harmonies. The melody sometimes takes twists and turns that echo Prokofiev, but Weinzweig has an original compositional voice.

(Note: in the recording below, taken from a live broadcast, there are a few dropouts. But it was the best version I could find).


It's a shame that this Olympic event was discontinued, but perhaps it was for the best. Most of the winners are virtually unknown today, and of the medal-winning compositions, I could only find four that were recorded in any form. A curious footnote to the modern Olympics the music competition remains -- and one that still remains largely unheard.

Olympic Musical Gold - Part 2

In Part 1 I outlined the strange history of the arts competitions at the modern Olympic Games. From 1912 through 1948 medals were given for classical music compositions (when merited). So what did these works sound like? Did they encapsulate the Olympic ideal?

At the 1928 games in Antwerp, Danish composer Rudolph Simonsen won a Bronze Medal for his Symphony No. 2, "Hellas" Simonsen (1889-1947) composed four symphonies over the course of his career, each with a program of some kind.

His second symphony, "Hellas" is a three movement work based on the Orestia, a trilogy of ancient Greek tragedies. The Orestria won first prize at the Dionysia festival in Athens, 458, BC, which perhaps made it suitable as an Olympic competition entry.

Simonsen completed the work in 1921, seven years before the event. The21-minute work is in three movements:

1. Orestian (Orestia)
2. Ensomhed ved Templerne (Loneliness at the Temples)
3. Sejersgudinden Pallas Athene (Victory goddess Pallas Athene)

The middle movement is quite beautiful and contemplative, and the final movement is heroic and stately -- well-suited to Olympic pageantry. Simonsen wrote in a similar style to Carl Nielsen (whom he succeeded as head of the Royal Danish Academy of Music) . Simonsen's music is tonal, but not overly conservative. While the symphony may not have any memorable themes, it's a work that holds up well and is worth hearing. Significantly, no Gold or Silver medals were awarded this year. So Simonsen's score was considered the best entry, but not the best possible entry.


By contrast, "Into a New Life" concert march by Joseph Suk is short and sweet, with a memorable fanfare to start the proceedings. Josef Suk (1874-1935)  composed the work in 1920, and submitted it as an entry for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It earned a Silver Medal for Czechoslovakia. Neither Gold nor Bronze was awarded that year, so Suk's work apparently was vastly better than the other entries, if still not quite good enough for gold.

The work is a jaunty little 6-minute symphonic march that's brimming with optimism and energy. Suk was a renowned and respected composer with an impressive body of work. He was Antonin Dvorak's sun-in-law, and was colleagues with Gustav Mahler and Alban Berg. Several of his works are part of the standard repertoire: his Serenade for Strings; the Azreal Symphony in C minor; the Fairy Tale Suite, and several others.

It's not surprising that there was no Bronze awarded. It's unlikely that there were other entries of the same level of craftsmanship as Suk's march. And it also makes sense that it didn't win the Gold. Compared to Suk's best works, "Into a New Life" is good, but not great. Perhaps the judges were aware of what Suk could really do.



Next: Part 3 - 1936 and 1948!

Olympic Musical Gold - Part 1

Some came to play -- others came
to play instruments.

Most classical music lovers aren't aware that Joseph Suk took the Silver Medal at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, or that Polish composer Zbigniew Turski brought home the Gold from the 1948 Olympics in London. Were these musicians extraordinary athletes? Not especially -- the truth is even more remarkable.

When the modern Olympics were established in 1912, the goal was to emulate the ancient Greek games and have both athletic and artistic competition. And so, from 1912 through 1948, there were Olympic competition in the fields of literature, sculpture, painting, and music composition.

After 1948 it was decided that since almost all the competitors for the arts events were professionals, the Olympics would shift to just having an art exhibition celebrating the contributions of the participating nations, and leave the amateur competition to the athletic events.

As is common with composition contests (but exceedingly rare in sports), not every medal was awarded in every event. If the judges thought there was no work worthy of an Olympic gold medal, then none was awarded, and the "best" composition received a silver -- or a bronze.

Below is a complete list of the winners for the Olympic Games Music Competition. So what does a medal-winning Olympic composition sound like? Although most of these composers are obscure, some of the prize-winning works have been recorded. In parts two and three, we'll analyze the four I was able to find.

---

Olympic Music Competition Winners 

Stockholm 1912 

• Gold: Riccardo Barthelemy (Ita): Olympic Triumphal March 
• Silver: none awarded 
• Bronze: none awarded 

Antwerp 1920 

• Gold: Georges Monier (Bel): Olympique Silver: 
• Oreste Riva (Ita): Marcia trionfale 
• Bronze: none awarded 

Paris 1924

• None awarded 

Antwerp 1928
   Song category: none awarded

   One instrument category: none awarded

   Orchestral music category

• Gold: none awarded 
• Silver: none awarded 
• Bronze: Rudolph Simonsen (Den): Symphony No. 2 “Hellas” 

Los Angeles 1932 

• Gold: none awarded 
• Silver: Joseph Suk (Tch) “Into a New Life” symphonic march 
• Bronze: none awarded 

Berlin 1936 
   Solo and chorus

• Gold: Paul Hoffer (Ger): Olympic Vow 
• Silver: Kurt Thomas (Ger): Olympic Cantata 1936 
• Bronze: Harald Genzmer (Ger): The Runner 

   Instrumental: none awarded

   Orchestral

• Gold: Werner Egk (Ger): Olympic Festive Music 
• Silver: Lino Liviabella (Ita): The Victor 
• Bronze: Jaroslav Kricka (Tch): Mountain Suite 

London 1948 
   Vocal:

• Gold: none awarded 
• Silver: none awarded 
• Bronze: Gabriele Bianchi (Ita): Inno Olimpionico 

   Instrumental and Chamber

• Gold: none awarded 
• Silver: John Weinzweig (Can): Divertimenti for Solo Flute and Strings 
• Bronze: Sergio Lauricella (Ita): Toccata per pianoforte 

   Choral and orchestral:

• Gold: Zbigniew Turksi (Pol): Olympic Symphony 
• Silver: Kalervo Tuukkanen (Fin) Karhunpyynti 
• Bronze: Erling Brene (Den): Viguer

The Plymouth Adventure

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many American families have Thanksgiving stories and traditions, mine included. And ours is perhaps a little unusual, as my ancestors include three men who sailed on the Mayflower: William Brewster, spiritual head of the Pilgrims; Stephen Hopkins, a sailor and adventurer; and Thomas Rogers, a Pilgrim and a cloth merchant.

The story of the Pilgrims coming to the New World and celebrating the first Thanksgiving, has grown large in the retelling as years have passed. The historical truth of the founding of P.ymouth Colony is far removed from the national myth. And understandably so -- the myth is much more appealing.

One of my favorite versions is the 1953 all-star epic "The Plymouth Adventure." The men are noble, the women glamorous, the passion overheated -- in other words, a typical Hollywood movie of the period.


But it's still a lot of fun. Two of my ancestors are represented -- although it's unlikely William Brewster looked much like Barry Jones, or Stephen Hopkins Don Dillaway (I know -- who?).

Taken as myth, it's rollicking entertainment. And the film has two other things going for it -- the ship and the music. The model of the Mayflower was one of the most detailed ever constructed, and is part of the reason the film won an Oscar for best special effects.

And who wouldn't enjoy an epic film with a Miklos Rozsa score? Rozsa did his research. The hymn you hear at the beginning isn't "Simple Gifts," it's actually "Confess Jehovah Thankfully," by Henry Ainsworth. Ainsworth's Psalter (collection of hymns), was published in 1612 and was taken to Plymouth by the Pilgrims.



Family stories don't have to be true, as long as they entertain. Ours got the MGM treatment. Very little of it is true, but it is entertaining!

The Strange Case of the Schubert Symphonies

If there's one thing most people know about Franz Schubert, it's that his most popular symphony is unfinished. If there's a second thing folks remember about Franz Schubert, it's that he only wrote nine symphonies. But if you look carefully at the list, you'll notice two oddities.

Symphony No. 1 in D major, D 82
Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major, D 125
Symphony No. 3 in D major, D 200
Symphony No. 4 in C minor, "Tragic" D 417
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, D 485
Symphony No. 6 in C major "Little C Major" D 589
Symphony No. 8 in B minor "Unfinished" D 759
Symphony No. 9 in C major "Great C Major" D 944

What's odd?
1) There's a symphony missing.
2) It's not the unfinished symphony.

Unfinished but included
The official "Unfinished" symphony (No. 8) incompletion wasn't because of Schubert's death. He wrote the first and second movement in 1822 (six years before his death), and just never got around to writing the last two movements. (most symphonies from this era had four movements). The first two movements were of such quality, though, that they were performed and have become part of the standard repertoire.

Unfinished and missing
The missing symphony is No. 7 is even more of a fragment than the 8th. composed in 1821, this E major symphony exists in sketch form, with a melody line and bass and counterpoint underneath. Unlike the 8th, all four movements of the 7th were written, and the first part of the first movement is fully orchestrated (the next step in the composition process).

The other other unfinished symphony
And there's another symphony missing from the list. In the final weeks of his life, Schubert composed a 10th symphony in a piano reduction score. That is, the music is written to be played on the piano, with notes indicating instruments for later orchestration. Like the 7th, it appears to be complete in sketch form.

With a significant amount of these compositions complete, it isn't surprising that musicians have been tempted to fill in the blanks.

Symphony No. 7's three co-composers
Schubert's 7th symphony was first completed in 1881 by John Francis Barnett, an English composer, and teacher. Famed conductor Felix Weingartner did his own version in 1934 and featured it in performance. The final version (to date) is by composer and scholar Brian Newbould, who extensively studied Schubert in order to make his completion as authentic as possible.

Symphony No. 10's two-and-a-half co-composers
The score for Symphony No. 10 was only identified as such in the 1970's, and Brian Newbould offered a scholarly completion of it. Conductor Pierre Bartholomeé revised Newbould's version with controversial results. And finally, composer Luciano Berio used the source material  as the basis for his work "Rendering."

Questions remain
So how many symphonies did Schubert really write? In terms of completed works, seven. In terms of what's commonly performed, eight. And in terms of what might have been, ten.

But are these completions valid? It's difficult to say. Schubert may have revised the surviving material after working with it for a while. We can say a combination of instruments for a certain passage is likely, based on similar patterns in Schubert's other works. But we can't say it's exactly what Schubert would have done. There's always a possibility that he may have done something original and unexpected -- great composers are like that.

Personally, I think the sketches are complete enough that most of the resulting music is Schubert's. And I'm glad for the opportunity to hear these works, even in an adulterated form. They deepen my understanding and appreciation of this short-lived musical genius. (below is a performance of Schubert's Symphony No. 7 so you can judge for yourself).

The transcient beauty of flowers

We visited my dad this weekend, and everything was starting to bloom. Dad has a long-standing tradition of photographing the spring flowers, and so he and I walked the property and took pictures.

That's Dad, at left, zooming in for a closeup of a dogwood bloom. The outdoor fireplace was built by his father in the 1950's and was the center for many Fourth of July family gatherings over the years.

For me, the experience was bittersweet. I know that there will come a day when we'll have to give up this house. And when we do, the azalias put in by my grandfather in the 1930's, the dogwood planted in memory of my grandmother, and the perennials planted and tended by my mother will all disappear.

But I'll still have the memories of the sights and smells of our family homes. And these images, too. (click on any image to enlarge)

Milton Caniff - Master Cartoonist

For Christmas, I received The Complete Terry and the Pirates, Vol. 3: 1939-1940 -- another volume in IDW's excellent Library of American Comics series. These are wonderful books, printed on high-quality paper so the artwork can be reproduced with crisp, sharp detail. And that's good -- because in Caniff's case, it's artwork worth studying.

Take this panel, for example. (click on image to enlarge)

With the continually shrinking size of comic strip panels, it's unlikely we'll see such a drawing again. In this one scene, Caniff depicts the clashing of two armies, and the way he salves many different problems simultaneously is nothing short of a tour-de-force.

First off, "Terry and the Pirates" was published in family newspapers, so Caniff was limited in how much -- and how graphically -- he could depict the violence (Dick Tracy had a corner on the Tarentino-style stuff). So if you look closely, you'll see that this panel is remarkably bloodless (even the bayonet running through the officer in the center of the panel is clean). And yet it still conveys the power of two armies clashing.

How is this possible?

One way is by composition. No one's standing around here. All of the figures are in motion, most off-balance, which adds to the energy of their poses. There's also the dynamic of the overall scene.

Caniff uses the knowledge that the reader's eye will travel from left to right to his advantage. Moving from left to right, we start with a pair of figures, one standing over the other with a rock. Then there are two fighters in closer foreground, forcing the eye to refocus. Then in the center, there's the officer getting run through, back on the same plane as the first pair.

And then the action picks up. The figures become more jumbled, the action confused, and an explosion punctuates the last third of the panel. We're also looking at the line of combat at an angle, and the figures get smaller as we near the end of the panel. Not only does this suggest depth, and give us the idea that there are many more people involved in this struggle than we can see, but it also provides closure to the scene.

Just as a song fading out signifies the end (while suggesting it keeps on going), the perspective shortening of the figures also diminish the pull on the eye, so that by the time it reaches the end of the panel, the eye is almost stationary.

And note also the judicious use of black. The left third of the panel has a white cloud behind it, the center has a black sky. The right third is punctuated by an explosion which shows more white space (but not as much as the left third) and the remainder of the panel has a big black sky. So from left to right there's a transition from a big white space to a big black space -- you can bet that was intentional.

There's much more I could write about this one panel, such as the undulating line that runs through the heads of the figures. But I'll leave the rest to the reader. Just look it over, and then think about what you're seeing. Caniff certainly did, which is why his work merits deluxe collections eighty years after the fact.

The Phantom Insider -- Revealed!

A few days ago, I pointed out that the current creative team producing the Phantom (Tony DePaul, Paul Ryan, and Eduardo Barreto)  made a reference to one of the strip's long-standing tropes. In the last two days, it's just gotten better. Not only is there a character breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the reader, but it's not just anyone. As today's sequence makes clear, our distinguished-looking speaker is actually Lee Falk, the creator and first writer of the Phantom. A very nice homage, indeed. (click on images to enlarge)

Robert Moran's Trinity Requiem: Music for All Time

Robert Moran: Trinity Requiem
Trinity Youth Chorus and members of Trinity Choir, Trinity Wall Street; 
Robert Ridgell, conductor, et al

Sometimes occasional pieces are just that – music written for a specific event, but have no life beyond it. (Richard Wagner’s “American Centennial March,” for example) But then there are other works that speak to audiences not just gathered for the event, but those in other places and other times.

Robert Moran’s Trinity Requiem is just such a work. This quiet, ethereal piece was composed for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Commissioned by Trinity Wall Street, which stood in the shadow of the World Trade Center, the composition is a serene, almost disembodied contemplation on the words of the requiem mass.

It bears some semblance to Arvo Part’s suspension-of-time music, but with a more identifiable tonal center. The quotation of Pachelbel’s Canon in the middle is a risky move – in the wrong hands it could sound trite – but Moran pulls it off. Somehow it adds to the otherworldly sorrow expresses by the music.

While written for a specific event, the Trinity Requiem transcends its origins. This is music that should be heard whenever people need solace from tragedy. The Trinity Youth Chorus, supported by adult members of the Trinity Choir sing with sure technique and firm conviction that help gives the requiem its emotional power.

Also included on the album are three shorter works in a similar style by Moran. Seven Sounds Unseen is an earlier a cappella work that uses the same vocal techniques as the requiem. Selections from it are performed by Musica Sacra, led by Richard Weterburg. Notturno in Weiss, performed by The Esoterica, directed by Eric Banke, adds a harp to the vocal mix, creating an interesting texture to this choral composition.

Robert Moran's Trinity Requiem: Music for All Time

Robert Moran: Trinity Requiem
Trinity Youth Chorus and members of Trinity Choir, Trinity Wall Street; 
Robert Ridgell, conductor, et al

Sometimes occasional pieces are just that – music written for a specific event, but have no life beyond it. (Richard Wagner’s “American Centennial March,” for example) But then there are other works that speak to audiences not just gathered for the event, but those in other places and other times.

Robert Moran’s Trinity Requiem is just such a work. This quiet, ethereal piece was composed for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Commissioned by Trinity Wall Street, which stood in the shadow of the World Trade Center, the composition is a serene, almost disembodied contemplation on the words of the requiem mass.

It bears some semblance to Arvo Part’s suspension-of-time music, but with a more identifiable tonal center. The quotation of Pachelbel’s Canon in the middle is a risky move – in the wrong hands it could sound trite – but Moran pulls it off. Somehow it adds to the otherworldly sorrow expresses by the music.

While written for a specific event, the Trinity Requiem transcends its origins. This is music that should be heard whenever people need solace from tragedy. The Trinity Youth Chorus, supported by adult members of the Trinity Choir sing with sure technique and firm conviction that help gives the requiem its emotional power.

Also included on the album are three shorter works in a similar style by Moran. Seven Sounds Unseen is an earlier a cappella work that uses the same vocal techniques as the requiem. Selections from it are performed by Musica Sacra, led by Richard Weterburg. Notturno in Weiss, performed by The Esoterica, directed by Eric Banke, adds a harp to the vocal mix, creating an interesting texture to this choral composition.

Ethereal History Revisited

Back in 2007 I wrote a post about the ephemeral nature of radio. No matter how talented the announcer, his fame is more fleeting than others. Because, for the most part, as soon as audio is broadcast, it's gone. In my post I talked about the legacy of Frank Harden and Jackson Weaver, the morning team at WMAL 630 AM in Washington, DC for 32 years.

Although Harden and Weaver were a part of Washington culture, once they retired the morning show changed and their legacy vanished.

Fortunately, it appears I was wrong. I recently ran across this audio clip on YouTube (yes, there's video, but it's filler). "JKlem," a copywriter for WMAL back in the day posted some audio he had of a typical Harden and Weaver broadcast from 1970. It's an amazing time capsule, and although some of their most famous characters and segments are missing, it can give you a good idea of what their show was like.

At one point in time, one-quarter of the Washington area audience tuned in to Harden and Weaver. Their conversational, gentle banter made them everyone's neighbor, as you'll hear. And if you listen carefully, you'll also hear two other Washington DC radio legends -- Willard Scott and Ed Walker, AKA the Joy Boys. They do the commercial for Ted Britt Ford at 7:10, and  Willard Scott returns in an ad at 16:30.

There's more to personality radio than shouting pundits. Let Harden and Weaver demonstrate.

Prohibition - a comic view, part 2

Last post I talked about how the attitudes about Prohibition (a current topic thanks to Ken Burns' documentary "Prohibition") had spread even to the lowly comics that appeared in the daily papers. But while Americans didn't feel a legal obligation to abstain, they did have a growing horror of the gang lords that arose to supply the illicit substance.

A modern equivalent would be the viciousness of the drug cartels of Central and South America.

So there was a selective feeling for a need for law and order. And the anger of one man towards what was happening in his city of Chicago created a cultural icon. Chester Gould wished for a champion to fight the gangsters -- and so he created the master detective Dick Tracy in 1931.

If there's any question about who Gould thought the villains were, check out arrival of the main bad guy in the strip below (click on image to enlarge).

"Big Boy" Caprice, the gang boss bears a close resemblance to Al Capone. And that was intentional. After Big Boy's gang ruthlessly murder Tess Trueheart's father in a robbery, Tracy promptly joins the police force to go after them with the full force of the law. He of course would be successful in capturing the men who gunned down his fiancee's father.  It would only be the first of many encounters Tracy would have with organized crime throughout the pre-war years.



The gangsters were often ugly, the violence brutal, and sometimes innocents died in the crossfire. But Gould was a man with a mission. For Dick Tracy, there was no compromise with criminals -- something Gould wished for in the real world.

Prohibition - A Comic View, Part 1

Ken Burns' new series "Prohibition" has brought an unusual piece of American history to light. Not many people, though (including the documentarians) are aware just how thoroughly contempt for the Amendment permeated American society.

I recently picked up  the first volume of a new "Gasoline Alley" reprint series. The volume covers the years 1921 and 1922, when Prohibition was still new. The focus of Gasoline Alley was a group of men and their cars (a hot topic back then), that gradually morphed into a story of a family.

Below are two examples from 1922 of the many I found relating to Prohibition (click on images to enlarge).

In the one above, Walt Wallet, the hero of the strip, talks to his friend Bill about alcohol and how he never used to drink -- before Prohibition.

In the second, Avery shares some of his home brew with Walt -- all very discretely, of course.

Now here's the thing: this was a  comic strip run in daily newspapers all across the country. The humor was considered appropriate for both adults and children (Gasoline Alley was popular with both demographics). Prohibition is treated pretty lightly, here.

If you want an idea of exactly how lightly,  substitute references to marijuana to those of liquor. What if the first strip Walt talked about everyone offering him weed, and how he'd never smoke if it wasn't illegal. Or if Avery offered Walt a joint from marijuana he was growing and Walt made a funny comment about the quality of the pot? Any chance of those gags being run in a mainstream newspaper (either on- or off-line)?

Ignoring  Prohibition wasn't just something hard-core alcoholics did. Everybody did it. And artifacts like these old comics document just how much in contempt the average person held the law.

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 5: Lexington to Christiansburg

We started off Day Five of our Route 11 road trip in Lexington. There happened to be a Farmer's Market downtown, and we took time to look at all the offerings.

Just a few blocks away was a quiet residential section, with large, gracious houses. The sidewalks weren't concrete, but rather brick -- and very old brick at that.

Here's two of the residences along the street. The others were equally attractive.

From Lexington, the next major stop down Route 11 was Natural Bridge. This rock formation was surveyed by George Washington, and with the advent of the automobile and tourism, has attracted a steady stream of visitors. And as with other tourist attractions, a whole subculture of subsidiary businesses has grown up around it.

Natural Bridge

In many places along the route there are traces of these old roadside attractions. One of the best i the Pink Cadillac Diner. This is a no-nonsense old-fashioned diner with a '50's motif. We've eaten there several times, both at their old and their current location. Good thing I stood as far away as I did to get the shot below. Up close, you can see that the car is rapidly biodegrading, both inside and out.

As we approached Natural Bridge, the attractions became kitschier - - but then, if something like "Foamhenge" can get people to pull over and spend money, why mess with a winning formula? The Natural Bridge Zoo is a good example. We didn't go in, but just being in the parking lot to take the  photo below as enough. Loudspeakers mounted in trees kept up a steady barrage of authentic jungle sounds.

We passed on the tiger photo-op.

Buchanan

At first glance, there didn't seem to be much to the town of Buchanan (which is pronounced BUCK-anan). But then we saw the footbridge.

Like Route 11 going into town, the bridge spans the James River. We took some time to cross it, and enjoy being suspended over the moving waters of the James. The original bridge pillar was constructed in the 1850's. The suspension bridge was added in the 1930's (but seemed to be reasonably sturdy).

One thing I had noticed once we started our trip. As we drove southward into the Valley, the mountains and hills became more pronounced. The road itself didn't necessarily become hillier, but steep slopes and close-by mountains fast became the norm for scenery.

The view from main street Buchanan. That
mountain's not far away.

Roanoke

A GP9 locomotive at the Virginia
Museum of Transportation.

Buchanan is on the outskirts of Roanoke. For most people living in other parts of Virginia, the Commonwealth ends in the Star City (Roanoke's nickname). In the 1700's the city was a major hub for the wagon routes, so it's natural to think that's were things stop. But it's more than just a major city. It's also the entrance to Southwest Virginia.

We've been to Roanoke many times, and often enjoyed their thriving city market on the downtown square. But we had never been to the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Roanoke is a major hub for the Norfolk & Western Railroad, and the area around the old downtown train station is a perfect place to store and display vintage locomotives.

The museum is indeed a transportation rather than a railroad museum. There are good-sized exhibits on automobiles, buses, and one under construction for airplanes. All with the focus of transportation in the Commonwealth.

The DC Transit PCC streetcar. Could this be one
I rode a half century ago?

I had some mixed emotions when I saw the PCC streetcar. It was an old D.C. Transit streetcar, in serious need of repair. As with many of the museum's acquisitions, it had been rescued from the scrap pile, but nothing could be done to it until the museum could afford to restore it.

Streetcars were a common sight in Washington, DC when I was very young. They were phased out in favor of buses in 1962. My father took me on the very last ride of the very last streetcar. As I looked at this relic, I wondered if it was the same one Dad and I rode on over a half-century ago.

Christiansburg

We made it as far as Christiansburg. When we travel Route 81, going over Christiansburg Mountain is sort of the sign that we're entering (or leaving) Southwest Virginia. The climb was even more difficult on Route 11, but we made it in time.

Christiansburg may seem like another picturesque mountain town, but its history is a little more interesting than most. The town, incorporated in 1792, was at one time the home of both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. And according to local legend, Dr. Pepper, a local doctor is the namesake for the cola (we'll visit the birthplace of another soda tomorrow).

#route 11

Route 11 Road Trip -- The Plan

Route 11 Road Trip -- Day 1: Winchester

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 2: Winchester to Harrisonburg

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 3: Harrisonburg to Lexington

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 4: Lexington

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 6: Christiansburg to Abingdon

Route 11 Road Trip: Day 7 Abingdon to Bristol

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 4: Lexington

The fourth day of our road trip we spent in and around Lexington, Virginia. The entire trip we'd been enduring 100-degree temperatures with high humidity, and today was no exception. Even though it rained throughout the morning, the air was thick with moisture after the storms had passed. Next time, we'll plan something for either the late spring or early fall!

Fairfield

We took a brief trip out to Fairfield. There's a quilting store there that one of us in interested in. In the 1920's many towns initially had automobiles park at an angle, with the vehicles facing the sidewalks rather than parallel to the curb. That's still the case in downtown Fairfield, which makes for extremely wide main street.

The United Methodist Church there provided yet another example of variation on an architectural theme. Note the large, open belfry in the tower. The neo-classical elements  so common farther up the Valley are missing. This is a very plain (if large) structure.

The United Methodist Church in Fairfield, VA.

Virginia Military Institute

When we arrived in Lexington proper, we passed by two institutions whose histories are inextricably mixed with that of the region: VMI and W&L.

We didn't have a chance to tour VMI, but most the buildings are
in this no-nonsense military style.

 The Virginia Military Institute is a state college founded in 1839. Many of its alumni, faculty, and even students served in the Confederate Army with distinction. Stonewall Jackson was an antebellum faulty member, and important to this day is the events at the 1864 Battle of New Market (further up the Valley Turnpike).

The Union forces were gathered to push into the Valley. The VMI cadets force-marched 81 miles to arrive on the scene, where General Imboden held them in reserve. When the Confederate line broke,  the cadets repulsed the Union adavance, and charged across the field to capture an enemy battery, turning the tide and helping the rebel forces win the day.

The Lee Chapel

To commemorate this event, every year a squad of cadets marches from Lexington to the New Market battlefield. To mark the end of their probationary status, the freshman class (known as "rats"), recreate the cadets' charge across the battlefield. When they arrive at the old Union battery, they're greeted by the upperclassmen, no longer rats, but full-fledged members of the corps.

Washington & Lee University

Civil War events not only define VMI traditions, but are important to Washington & Lee University, which is literally next door to the military school. Established in 1749 as the Augusta Academy, the school changed its name to Washington after the First President gave the college a sizable donation.

Photography isn't allowed in the Chapel. But
thedoor details provide a good indication
of the architectural features inside.

When Robert E. Lee returned to civilian life in 1865, he became president of the college, a post he held until his death in 1870 (when his name was incorporated into that of the institution he served so well).

The Lee Chapel on the campus is a small, stately building, steeped in history. Robert E. Lee and members of his family are buried in the crypt undeneath the chapel. Inside the chapel, the walls are lined with commemorative plaques, going back over a century. Like Lee, it's a building filled with quiet dignity.


Lexington

The city of Lexington is an old one, extablished in 1777. In addition to being at an important crossroads, it's also the county seat for Rockbridge County. Throughout the downtown we saw many examples of colonial and Federalist-inspired architecture. Case in point: the Baptist Church downtown.

The Baptist Church in Lexington, VA.

Another good example was the (what else?) United Methodist Church. The one in Fairfield was a simple wooden clapboard structure. This was a brick building with more complex architectural features. And it also references a common form of hospitality in the Valley (and many other parts of the rural South). Its front porch had several rocking chairs with a sign inviting folks to stop and rest a while.

The United Methodist Church in Lexington.
Complete with porch and rocking chairs.

Downtown Lexington had many small boutique and antique stores. I personally liked the Second Hand Shop, with its stained-glass banjo transom (right).

As we were waiting to meet friend for dinner, we head a mighty rumbling. The Rally North America's 2011 Rally Appalachia came to town, with dozens of cars slowly crusing down the thoroughfare to park in designated areas along the street.


This kind of serendipitous show was one of the delights of the trip. Unplanned, unanticipated -- just a cool, random event that we happened to be in the right place and the right time to observe.

We have good friends in Buena Vista (pronounced Bewna Vista), which is a small town just down the road from Lexington. Locals travel to the city sometimes on a daily basis for work, and often for shopping and entertainment. Although we had met our friends many times in Lexington to get together, we seldom had time to explore the city -- not like we did this day.

And because we had decided to spend a second night in our motel room, we didn't have anyplace we had to be later. The four of us talked well into the night, celebrating the time we had together, and mindful of how things had changed in just one short year.


Tomorrow we would start out in Lexington and continue our journey down Route 11.


#route 11

Route 11 Road Trip -- The Plan

Route 11 Road Trip -- Day 1: Winchester

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 2: Winchester to Harrisonburg

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 3: Harrisonburg to Lexington

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 5: Lexington to Christiansburg

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 6: Christiansburg to Abingdon

Route 11 Road Trip: Day 7 Abingdon to Bristol

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 2: Winchester to Harrisonburg

On the second day of our trip, we spent most of the morning exploring Winchester. There's one nice thing about not having a set itinerary -- no pressure. We didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time. So no matter how fast or slow traffic moved, I didn't worry about it. When you're not in a hurry, no one's really in your way.

From Winchester we made our way south down the Valley Turnpike (Route 11). Near Stephens City we saw the first of many drive-in theaters along the road. In the heyday of car culture, drive-ins were everywhere. But changing tastes, and the rerouting of traffic from 11 to Route 81 killed many of these businesses. The Family Drive-In Theatre was still thriving, though.

If you look carefully to the left, you can see part of the reason why -- they borrowed a concept from the cineplex and put in a second screen!

Stephens City

Stephens City (named after founder Peter Stephens, so there's no apostrophe)  is still a small, fairly rural community. One thing we learned pretty quickly --  Sunday is a good day to travel, and a bad time to shop. We rolled into town around 10:30, while most churches were still holding services. The shot below as taken standing in the middle of the main road -- try that in a major metropolis!

Stephens City, Sunday morning.

I didn't intend to, but at the end of the day when I transferred my pictures, I found I had taken several of the various churches we saw. Most of them were  Protestant, many United Methodist (there's a reason for that), with various types of Baptist churches running a close second. Lutheran and Presbyterian were less common, and I didn't see any Catholic churches along the road.

Most of the church architecture was the same: a large meeting area for the congregation to worship in, a steeple with bells to call people to worship, and perhaps an adjoining fellowship hall. We saw many variations on these themes as we traveled along.

Middletown

The next town we entered was Middletown. It was a short distance from Stephens City, and was also shuttered up tight. The shot below was taken in the middle of the main street before 11:00AM.

Although we couldn't explore any of the shops, we did visit the famous Wayside Inn, which has been in continuous operation since 1797. I'm sure readers living in Europe might not think much of such a young building, but here in the U.S. such a structure is steeped in history.

Close up, it was easy to see how the original structure and been added to and expanded throughout the centuries. And the rocking chairs on the porch were a nice touch. While they may be an affectation at a Cracker Barrel, in the Valley they're on almost every porch big enough to have one. And as we drove along in the 98-degree heat, we saw many people rocking in the shade of the porch roof, watching the cars go by.

Cedar Creek

Cedar Creek was the site of the last engagement of the Valley Campaign in 1964. Philip Sheridan's Union Army met the Confederates under the command of Jubal E. Early. Over the course of two days the rebel forces were crushed and driven back in disarray, leaving the Valley unprotected (George A. Custer's calvary division was part of this battle, at one point breaking through the enemy lines.

From where we stood, it looked like a significant portion of the battlefield has been preserved, including the farm house that was there at the time.

Strasburg
We've visited Strasburg before on shorter day excursions. This time we were able to take in more of the downtown, which had some very nice shops. As we traveled down Route 11, the small towns we drove through either had thriving antique/boutique/tourist areas, or were just empty storefronts -- there didn't seem to be anything in between.

 Light shining through vinegar bottles in a shop in Strasburg, VA.

Woodstock

"Follow me, boys!"

Woodstock, VA is the county seat for Shenandoah County. Like many other towns in the Valley, it was greatly affected by the Civil War. But there are historic ties to the Revolutionary War as well. In front of the courthouse is a bust of  John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg.

Muhlenberg was a Lutheran minister serving in Woodstock. January 21, 1776 he preached from Ecclesiastes. After reading "a time for war, and a time for peace," he said, "and this is the time of war." He threw off his robe, and the congregation saw he was dressede in a colonel's uniform of the Continental Army.  He marched down the aisle, encouraging the men to follow. With a few hours, 162 men had enlisted.

The United Methodist Church, Mount Jackson, VA.

The courthouse not only has a bust of this warrior/cleric, but a statue as well. The statue shows Muhlenberg throwing open his robe, dramatically calling others to follow.


Mount Jackson
The community of Mount Jackson is small, but proud. And also mindful of their heritage. The Confederate Cemetery is a quietly dignified space. Its still carefully maintained, as is the memories of the war (not uncommon in Virginia).

The United Methodist Church was formed by the
merger of the Methodist Church and the  Evangelical United Bretheren Church.
This building is a capsule history of that change.

By way of contrast, another church in Mount Jackson.
Note the difference in architecture between it
and the United Methodist wooden church above.

Just south of Mount Jackson was the covered bridge at Meems Bottom. This is the oldest covered bridge in the Commonwealth, was well worth the slight side trip. The bridge has been reinforced with steel beams and concrete pillars, but you don't really see them as you drive up to the bridge. The truss work inside the structure was amazing, with hand-cut lumber throughout.

Underneath flowered the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. This was a very calm and peaceful spot. The water rippled past at a gentle pace,  crystal clear and bright. We stayed for quite a while, just watching the river roll past. I have to admit I took a souvenir -- a small, smooth river rock in the shape of a triangle. It should make an excellent worry stone.

Inside the covered bridge at Meems Bottom

The cool water of the North Fork.

Harrisonburg

We arrived in Harrisonburg in the late afternoon, found a place to stay, and turned in early. This is a town we're both familiar with, and we would explore it tomorrow!

#route 11

Route 11 Road Trip -- The Plan

Route 11 Road Trip -- Day 1: Winchester

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 3: Harrisonburg to Lexington

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 4: Lexington

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 5: Lexington to Christiansburg

Route 11 Road Trip - Day 6: Christiansburg to Abingdon

Route 11 Road Trip: Day 7 Abingdon to Bristol