A Mason Arts concert celebrates America’s 250th anniversary
By Julia Key
The hum of violins and the booming of a euphonium could be heard alongside powerful poetry at the Mason District Arts Council’s community celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Founded in 2024, the Mason District Arts Council is a volunteer-based organization that aims to celebrate the multicultural community by organizing visual and performing arts events for residents of all ages.
The showcase on Saturday at John Calvin Presbyterian Church – part of the council’s Mason Arts 250 series – was themed: “America the Beautiful at 250: Reimagining the Future Through Music and Poetry.”
The event was supported by Fairfax County VA250, ArtsFairfax, and Day Violins.
Before the concert began, Day Violins brought string instruments of all sizes for an “instrument petting zoo,” allowing attendees to try bowing a violin, viola, cello, or bass and learn about caring for an instrument before considering buying one.
Event organizer James Albright, chair of the Mason District Arts Council, opened the showcase by emphasizing the importance of events like this for connecting and engaging the community.
He expressed gratitude to community members for their support before introducing Annie Ray, the Grammy-winning music teacher, mentor, and conductor at Annandale High School.
Ray conducted members of the Parent Orchestra, a group she founded that’s made up of parents and caregivers who wanted to learn how to play their students’ instruments. They performed “Perpetuoso” by Brian Holmes on violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Ray commended the performers for their bravery.
The Atoms Buskers, a group made up of six string musicians from Annandale High School, performed three songs they arranged themselves. The group played “Honor and Glory,” written by Soon Hee Newbold; “Danza Latina,” by Bria Balmages; and “My Heart Will Go On,” by James Horner.
Ray commended the sextet for their independence with music at such a young age. “They have given me such a gift in starting their own busking group, which is being a street musician and sharing your music with the community, because that’s what music is all about,” she said. “I’m so proud.”
Mark Evans Jr., professionally known as Maestro the Cellist, performed three star-studded songs on an electronic cello, including “Interstellar” by Hans Zimmer, which was the theme from the 2014 Academy Award-winning film of that title; “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen; and the Coldplay classic, “Viva La Vida.”
Evans, a professional cellist, composer, and music educator, has received multiple awards, including Artist of the Year at the Richmond International Film and Music Festival.
Wearing a bright red sequined suit and a matching top hat as loud as his music, Irving Ray played a medley of three songs titled “Pearls III” by Roland Szenpáli. A member of the U.S. Army Band, Ray blew the euphonium for six minutes straight, his fingers wiggling the valves to produce a sound that echoed throughout the church.
Throughout the concert, the winners of the Mason Arts 250 poetry contest read their poems, including first-place winner PJ Gross (“How to Grieve for Strangers”) and Honorable Mention honorees Mary Mateer (“Confession”) and Joe Tilton (“The Colossus’ Back”).
The concert closed with an arrangement of “America the Beautiful” performed by the Atoms Buskers, Maestro the Cellist, Irving Ray, and the Parent Orchestra, conducted by Annie Ray.
The Mason District Arts Council will host two more Mason Arts 250 events this month: an oratory and theater showcase on June 20 at the Pozez JCC and a community mural painting on June 27 at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space.
Julia Key, Annandale Today’s summer intern, is a resident of Burke and a journalism student at Penn State University.
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