Music Series Kicks off at Franklin Museum

Historical Commission member Randy LaRosa and Bellingham multi-instrumentalist Krishna Swain, took turns Sunday afternoon bringing to life the recently rebuilt Trowbridge piano, manufactured in Franklin in 1904 and the museum's Beckwith pump organ, made in Chicago, that formerly served the Old South Meeting House on Washington Street.

Krishna began by playing Amazing Grace on the piano, accompanied by Randy on violin. Krishna then moved to a piece of music contemporary with the piano itself, Pineapple Rag, written by Scott Joplin.  For this piece, the front cover was removed, so that the dance of hammer and damper could be seen while fast-paced keyboard work shook away the museum's cobwebs.

Krishna noted that Joplin, a man of African descent, was the first person in the US to sell a million copies of a piece of sheet music.

Krishna closed with a piece by Felix Mendelssohn.

Randy then breathed life into the organ, almost literally, since it operates by having the organist pump vigorously on two pedals that produce air flow, while also fingering the keyboard and occasionally changing stops, to alter the sound quality and tone. 

One of his 'numbers' was a medley of tunes from the classic Lerner & Lowe musical, My Fair Lady, rendered somewhat somber by the voicings of the organ.

Then, it was audience participation time. Local composer (of the Opera, Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter) Jon Mitchell, even offered up a few bars on the Trowbridge.

He will return as the 'star' of October's Third Sunday Music at the Museum, introducing a video recording of his opera's first performance earlier in the summer at the First Universalist Society of Franklin. That event will be at the museum at 1 pm on  Sunday, Oct. 20

The November performance will be by  Greenwich Bay Brass ensemble and December will see an ensemble from Metrowest Symphony Orchestra.

The museum is located at 80 West Central Street in Franklin.