City Walk to a Night Concert

Rosetta Parente

Thomas Gaines

English 1020

July 8, 2011

City Walk to a Night Concert        

 Recently our English professor delighted us with an unexpected excursion into the city of Providence for a classical concert at The First Baptist Church of America.  Some of us were excited about going, others not so much.  Once class attendance had been taken and the professor completed his instructions for our next class, we started our city walk to the concert.  Some classmates were not happy to be walking but once we were on our way, it seemed as everyone was having fun and enjoying the night’s adventure through the city. The church was a little more than a mile away and it was a bit humid that night but I didn’t care.  I was happy to be out of the classroom.  

As we walked through the city, the professor would spotlight different points of interest.  There were old buildings being converted into new ones, such as, Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), Abbot Park, the smallest park in the city, and the first enclosed shopping mall named “The Arcade”.  As we continued our walk, I noticed something I hadn’t in the past, the large quantity of buildings in the city which were built from red bricks.  The dimensions and the difference in colors of the bricks were extreme.  Some were brilliant red in color almost new, while others were a deeper red as a consequence of exposure to weather and age.  

When we finally arrived at the church, we were greeted by staff members who pointed the way to a staircase which led us to the main floor where the performance took place. We took our seats and waited for the concert to begin.    The concert was performed by The Polyphony Youth Ensemble, which is a group of young talented musicians, from Israel. The pianist, violinist and cellist played with such brilliance. The youngest pianist, age 9, played with such excellence that when he was done with his musical piece, the audience gave him a standing ovation.  It was unfortunate that we could not stay for the entire performance but I was content and ready to leave.  On the way back to classroom we passed by Water Fire Park, the 911 Memorial Tile Exhibit and the Providence Ice Rink.  Thanks to Professor Gaines, I was able to enjoy the evening visiting the City of Providence, listen to some great music, and attend class without being in a class room atmosphere.