When I read the ad in last week’s Courier for a concert of classical music to be held at The River Run, wiped my glasses and re-read it three times! I’m so glad the West Branch Angler Resort took out that ad, because I’ve just returned from a most incredible and joyous afternoon of beautiful music, an opportunity to meet 10 extraordinary musicians from Venezuela, from Los Angeles, from Israel, from Juilliard in Manhattan all here. I mean RIGHT HERE – playing some of the world’s most beautiful music while we all just sat around them close enough to see the sheets of music, to watch the music take over their spirits and then infectiously spread across the beautiful main dining room at River Run until each person in the audience was filled through and through with the same set of the world’s most glorious vibrations. My mother had always told me that you had to be like a king or queen or really really rich to get to hear groups of musicians in small settings, and that we were lucky to be able to go to an occasional concert in a big symphony hall. But when she spoke of chamber music, she let me know that that was probably not in the cards for the likes of us. And yet, yesterday in Hale Eddy it was in the cards. I’m writing this to let those of you who may not have seen the ad, or heard about it, the second and last performance of what is being called the first annual West Branch International Music Festival at The West Branch Angler Resort will be this coming Sunday, September 20th. Run, don’t walk to get tickets, if indeed there are any left. The price of admission included a fantastic wine tasting and the yummiest of hors d’oeuvres and the opportunity to spend time wandering down to the river at its most beautiful early evening moments. Rereading this, it sounds like a paid advertisement, when in fact I’d only been down to River Run once before 2 years ago for a lovely dinner. But, if you had been there yesterday, you too would want to tell the world about this treasure that has been bestowed upon us.

So, thanks to the vision of Matt Batschelet (whom I had the privilege of meeting) and his family, we not only have a breathtakingly gorgeous riverside resort and wonderful restaurant, but the most beautiful music in the world at our doorstep. Matt’s partner in this musical magic is Odin Rathnam, the superb violinist who apparently loves fly fishing! How lucky for us. Congratulations to all who brought this wonderment to our community.

–Toni Grekin