The Dr. Vernon Boushell Concert Series honors the musical legacy
The Riverside Presbyterian Church in Cocoa Beach offers a series of free community concerts annually to honor the musical legacy of Dr. Vernon Boushell.
Wherever Dr. Vernon Boushell went, music soon followed him.
Boushell, who died in 2008, served in the Brevard School District for 40 years and retired as music director. With the help of his wife of 66 years, Grace, he also enjoyed organizing large oratorios with 100 choir members and large orchestras.
Daughter Sherry Boushell MacLean, herself a musical luminary in the county, recalls how her parents launched a campaign to collect S&H Green Stamps to purchase string instruments – violins, violas, cellos and bass violins – for every existing school, so that every child who wanted to play could start with a quality instrument.
“I’m not sure how long it took, but the goal was achieved and was the start of a great string instrument program across the county,” she said.
“For as long as I can remember, music has been at the heart of our family.”
Boushell’s musical legacy lives on with Riverside Presbyterian Church’s Dr. Vernon Boushell Concert Series, an annual series of free concerts. The “Celebrate America” series prepares audiences for Independence Day. The free event will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, at Riverside Presbyterian, 3400 N. Atlantic Ave. (A1A) in Cocoa Beach.
The series, which covers a wide range of music, is named after Boushell, who was both a singer with the Riverside Choir and an orchestrator of classical oratorios, from Handel’s “Messiah” to Verdi’s “Requiem.” The series runs from October to June.
Previous artists have included the Ditchfield Family Singers, a family music group comparable to the von Trapp family from The Sound of Music. a cappella The family of singers tackle Broadway and barbershop, patriotic music and doo-wop, all with equal enthusiasm. With the goal of uplifting souls through music, the series has also featured unique concerts such as Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass.” The work was originally called “Mass for Troubled Times” and was composed during a time of unrest as Napoleon advanced in his conquests of Europe. It was later renamed to celebrate Nelson’s victory over Napoleon, shortly after the original composition was completed.
For “Celebrate America,” Riverside will host the Space Coast Symphony Wind Orchestra and Chorus for a show of American heritage. Conductor Aaron Collins will lead the orchestra through his steps during the “Star Spangled Banner,” as well as classics such as Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and favorites such as the popular “America the Beautiful.” These include Morton Gould’s patriotic suite “Fourth of July” and Frank Ticheli’s “Blue Shades,” a jazzy tribute to the big band era. Among the many rousing patriotic numbers is a salute to those who have served in the United States Armed Forces; veterans are asked to stand when their service song is played. Visitors can also look forward to the marches “Hands Across the Sea” and “Washington Post” by The March King, John Philip Sousa. The program is rounded off by Christopher Marshall’s “Mendez,” inspired by the legendary emigrated trumpet virtuoso, played in the exciting style of Mexican folk music.
“These concerts are a powerful way to come together as a community and celebrate our great nation,” Collins said.
Concertgoers are encouraged to wear red, white and blue to show their true colors.
The Riverside concert is an encore of the orchestra’s Saturday, June 29, concert at the Scott Center. Admission is free, but tickets to “Celebrate America” at Riverside Presbyterian are required. Visit riversidepresbyterianchurch.org or call 321-783-6085.
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