We like to think of Dianna as one the hidden jewels of George Williams College. Also able to wear many hats with style and ease, Dianna has been a member of the George Williams Staff since 1985. She started her work coordinating and directing volunteers for the Elder hostels and Family Bound programs during the 1990’s, and today coordinates, trains, and oversees more than sixty five volunteers for the Music by the Lake performances during the summer months. This lovely lady works marvelously with everyone on campus, and brings terrific organizational skills to her task of making sure the performances are staffed with well-trained, personable volunteers who support the programs and serve the audience’s needs beautifully.

When the season ends, Dianna serves in several other capacities on campus, including coordinating the Meyer Resource Center (helping students and faculty with our web site and computer programs, as well as writing and tutoring), and she works with the Williams Bay Recreation Department and our two Recreation Graduate students. And – if that isn’t impressive enough – Dianna is the resident campus archivist.  She has gathered and filed all of the records and historical data involving the history of George Williams, and stands pleasantly “at the ready” to provide any and all data when needed. We have often called on her to provide historical facts and produce the marvelous pictures you have seen in our other stories on the blog. She is one of our favorites….and anyone who knows Dianna readily agrees with us!

When the robins begin to sing (perched here in a nook at the Weidensall Administration Building) you know the Music by the Lake season is here! Our robins are especially talented…during last year’s performance of Madama Butterfly, as the heroine sings of the return of her husband Lieutenant Pinkerton “when the robins appear”, our little warblers flew from their nest above the pavilion light trusses right on cue! They are currently practicing their Italian for this season’s performances of La Traviata…

The pungent smell of fresh mulch is wafting through the air this week!  The grounds are splendid; the hydrangeas and lilies are in full bloom, and the emerald hillside vistas await our guests for the opening of Music by the Lake, June 26th.  The 10th Anniversary Season is almost here. Where else can you enjoy a premiere musical experience in such a beautiful, intimate lakeside setting?  If you haven’t ordered your tickets yet, don’t delay. This season will be our finest yet!

Behind the scenes all year long, and especially during the Music by the Lake season, Julia Rowehl keeps the gears running smoothly. Julia (Administrative Assistant to the Registrar and Advisor for Graduate Studies) dons the various hats of ticket seller, overseer of the parking lot (along with husband, Wayne), coordinator of box lunch sales, and general “Enthusiast Par Excellence” when it comes to every aspect of the festival. Julia’s bubbly personality and go-the-extra-mile demeanor have been keeping our audience members happy for many years. Please say “hello” when you see her at the ticket booth!

The word “bravo” (the word shouted at the end of an opera aria or performance) actually began in England? According to sources, Italian music (and especially Italian opera) was so popular in England in 1761 that a new word was fashioned by the English concert goers to show their enthusiasm and approval! Its meaning  has been variously described as meaning brave, clever, skillful, courageous, or bold. Anyone attempting to sing an opera aria will readily agree that it takes no small amount of courage and bravery to do this well enough to receive the cherished “bravo”. For those who really know their Italian etiquette, “bravo” is used for a single male performer, “brava”, for a single female performer, and “bravi” for all of the performers. If the performance is “off the charts” terrific, one can holler the highest form of the word, “bravissimo” (…or “bravissima” or even “bravissimi”)!!

“The Gatehouse”, an iconic structure on the George Williams campus was spirited away earlier this month. An open, clear vista remains. While it is always difficult to say goodbye to nostalgic elements of the campus, the fresh, new look at the East entryway to the grounds will be a welcome sight to summer concert goers.

A sure sign of summer at the George Williams Campus is the day the boat dock goes into the frigid waters of Geneva Lake. We did some checking, and learned that the George Williams Boat Dock was contracted to be built in 1887, along with a dining room, kitchen, ice-house, and the administration buildings.  Early the following year, an inquiry was received from the Christ Episcopal Choir of Chicago for permission to meet at the camp for ten days, so it was the summer of 1888 that the dock welcomed happy swimmers and boaters for the first time!  It looked very much the way it does today. The dock and pergola at the shoreline are some of the cherished elements of College Camp, now known as George Williams College of Aurora University. Thanks go to Dianna Woss, our archivist, who found this information among the WSI board minutes.

For any of our guests buying tickets for the first time at Music by the Lake  (or purchasing tickets once again), you have undoubtedly talked to our “Ticket Guy Extraordinaire”, Tom McReynolds (Associate Director of Information Services). Tom wears many hats during the season, and handling the often-complicated requests for tickets is just one of the challenges he takes on and makes seem “effortless”. He also manages to do the impossible in arranging the seats in the Pavilion for each concert (different for each performance).  Just when we think we couldn’t find another inch of floor space in which to add chairs, Tom re-arranges the seating on the main floor (often in the early morning hours!) and manages to add the number needed on any given day. Tom (”The Terrific”) works with our friends and donors, manages the dock reservations, helps take tickets and seat special guests, solves any and all problems that inadvertently arise, and helps coordinate the many pre-concert parties that take place in various locations. We often wonder what we would do without him (and hope we will never need to know…)

The term “Maestro” is taken from the Latin verb, “magister”, and means “any man* regarded as the master of an art; especially a composer, conductor, or music teacher”.  (The feminine form of the title is “maestra” for those who wish to be erudite in such matters).The award winning conductor, Maestro Paul Gemignani has worked with many great performers throughout his amazing career.  I asked him if he would share an entertaining story about working with celebrity performers, and he sent the following two anecdotes for your enjoyment….