With many, many thanks, Mr. Smith. The RIT Orchestra mourns the loss of a good friend. Derrick Smith passed away this afternoon, November 18. We send our condolences and best wishes to his family—his wife Merideth, and his children. Derrick made many memorable appearances with the RIT Orchestra. Most recently he was bass soloist in the RIT Orchestra/RIT Singers performance of Haydns Harmoniemese at the Hochstein School Performance Hall in the spring of 2013. A particular favorite among our students was Derrick joining us for several of Coplands Old American Songs the previous year. To my ears, Derrick excelled at the American song literature, and his performance of The Boatmans Dance, despite fighting a bit of a throat cold, was full of energy and passion. We also had the pleasure of Derrick singing some of the songs from Porgy and Bess with us in 1999, and the role of Don Giovanni in a concert performance of a number of scenes in 2006. RIT students also were treated to recitals on a number of occasions. Derrick was very generous with his time, his talent, and his conversation. He seemed to shine in situations where he could bring inspiration and knowledge to students. Indeed, in all of his rehearsals and performance with the RIT Orchestra, there was an extra tingle of excitement in the room when he stood up, and opened his mouth to sing. I know my students over the years have enjoyed working with him, and have been inspired by his knowledge, skill, and musicianship, but most of all his warm and generous spirit. You have blessed us, and we thank you for being part of us.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:36:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015