KENNEBUNK — It was a packed house at the Waterhouse Center Thursday night as the Portland Symphony Orchestra played ”“ through both rain and shine ”“ to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kennebunk Senior Center.

Estimates of the crowd ranged from between 500 and 600 people ”“ 250 seated under the open pavilion and casual listeners sitting on benches, the lawn, or in nearby buildings in the center of the downtown. A brief downpour threatened the performers and chased those outside of the pavilion to shelter, but the bad weather was mercifully brief and allowed the orchestra to close out the event with a seasonal classic ”“ “Summer” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

The set list was nearly all classical ”“ unusual for a summer concert, according to PSO Communications & Patron Engagement Manager Tara McDonough, who attended the event Thursday ”“ with one exception: a special request that conductor Robert Moody sing Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable,” accompanied by the orchestra. Other classical selections included Haydn’s “Symphony No. 69” and Dvorák’s “Czech Suite.”

“You usually don’t get sound like that if you’re playing an outdoor concert,” McDonough said. “There are music shells that have good acoustics, but I thought (the Waterhouse center) was great, the sound was terrific and the space really lent itself to the size of the orchestra.”

The Waterhouse Center pavilion, a community space created by a $1.5 million gift from resident Geraldine Waterhouse, opened in October, serving as an ice skating rink in the winter. It will host several community events over the summer, including a stop along the week-long BikeMaine event. In March, it won the Maine Recreation and Park Association’s 2015 Facilities of Merit Award.

The Waterhouse event was not part of the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s regularly scheduled program, as it was organized and sponsored by the Kennebunk Senior Center, which also announced the winners of the “Models of Positive Living” contest for adults over 55 who “live their lives with energy and purpose” according to the Center’s website.

Organizers and performers alike hope that the Waterhouse center will play host to the Portland Symphony Orchestra in the near future.

“It was great. I’ve heard nothing but enthusiasm,” for returning to Kennebunk, McDonough said.



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