WATERLOO VILLAGE
STANHOPE, NJ
SUMMER 1968
March of 1968 I got a phone call from Van telling me he was going to be playing at the new completed $500,000 Waterloo Music Festival venue in Stanhope, NJ. Retired Opera singer, Marion Anderson and Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Symphony was opening the Festival, on June 29th and he was the next featured artist. He said that he put 2 tickets away for me and my wife ( now ex-wife. ) He told me that it would be a formal affair held outside under the stars. During the next couple of weeks I was telling a group of friends and we decided to all go and have a very special evening. There would be 12 of us, six couples; the guys in tuxes and the gals in long gowns. We had to take our own seating and dinner if we wanted to eat. We planned a very unusual alfresco dinner on the grass.
The day of the concert arrived and there were 12 excited people in Plainfield , NJ. The Donald Clark Hughes, my best man and his wife Ann, the St. Amands, Bill and Phyllis Streeton, the Peter Moodys , all members of my wedding party and one other couple whose name I forget and my wife and I. I had called and ordered tickets for the rest of the party back in April.
The wives had prepared dinner the day of the concert, which included homemade cold lobster salad over a bed of baby spinach, fresh quartered tomatoes with appetizers of salmon and caviar on toast quarters with chilled champagne. Wine was served with dinner, dessert was fresh whole strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blue berries I had picked earlier that afternoon from my garden. Champagne flowed throughout dessert .
We arrived early so as to allow ourselves plenty of time to set up eat clean up and get ready to enjoy the concert. We picked out a nice flat area in front of the stage and spread out our large starched white linen table cloths and napkins silver and flutes and wine glasses. Set up 4 silver candelabras with white tapers and settled in for a gourmet dinner on the grass in our finest attire.
The other members of the audience arrived slowly and many came over to chat and take pictures. among those that came over and joined us for a few minutes and introduced themselves were first the Henry Fords, from Basking Ridge and later Malcolm Forbes and his wife. Well, that was something 12 under 30 somethings and two captains of industry all chatting. We had a nice chat and they all went back to their parties. We all just sat looking at each other not believing what just happened.
It was about 7:30 and concert began at 8:15. We cleaned and packed up our things and the guys took everything back to the cars and the gals set up the seats. We brought back another cooler with cheese and crackers and more champagne. We settled in for a wonderful night of Chopin under the stars.
My wife and I ran backstage quickly before the concert to say hi and let Van know where we were set up. He walked on stage to a standing ovation blew us kisses and as his butt hit the stool his fingers played the first notes of the "Star Spangled Banner." He began all his concerts with this.
The evening was magical, a beautiful late June evening in the lush hills of beautiful northern New Jersey. A soft breeze was wafting through the trees, which added the perfect touch to the incredible music wafting from the stage. The first 45 minutes came to a close to soon. The thousands rose to thunderous applause. During the intermission we all went backstage for a brief visit and introduction of our friends. We figured it would be better then, than after because there would be a crowd. This way we all had our private time even if just for a few minutes. We left after that brief time so Van could change tux. By the time we made it back to our lawn chairs the stage lights were starting to come up again. More beautiful strains of Chopin echoed off the back of the shell amphitheater just completed a week before. 10:15; the concert came to an end. . Van exited the stage with no encores. The crowd brought him back, he looked at me and smiled, I knew what was coming. Chopin's, "Winter Winds," One of my favorites. He stepped to the footlights and said that that was for a special friend in the audience and that the next encore would be for my wife, her favorite, Polonaise. Every concert we attended where there were encores, those were always the first two. A few more encores and Van to the edge of the stage to grab our hands and that incredible night was over. We headed back to our cars ready for the hour long drive home.
The next day The Hunterdon Times and the Newark Star Ledger both commented on the wonder concert and how well he played. They mentioned the encores and how special the people must feel that were played for them. They also mention the elegant dinner party on white linen table clothes with the silver candelabras, champagne flutes and silver flatware. That was us. I hope all my friends still remember that wonderful night.
