Gerald Plain

““.  .  .  .  Gerald Plain’s and left ol’ Joe a bone, AMAZING!,  for Orchestra, a virtuoso piece which managed to combine country fiddle vitality and incredibly imaginative harmonic writing with grand, sweeping transitions into other worlds of sound.”” - Nancy Malitz

““Bluegrass and a traditional hymn tune were effectively combined with strikingly experimental techniques in Gerald Plain’s 1975 work, and left ol’ Joe a bone, AMAZING!” - James Chute

““.  .  .  .  Plain’s piece  [and left ol’ Joe a bone, AMAZING!] is a tapestry of unexpected sounds that work together in a brilliant fashion.””

““.  .  .  .  Gerald Plain’s and left ol’ Joe a bone, AMAZING!  is delightfully wild and unconventional.”” - Robert C. Marsh

““.  .  .  .  Gerald Plain’s and left ol’ Joe a bone, AMAZING! . . . . . the most significant work performed in the Milwaukee Symphony’s first Schermerhorn American Composers Festival, . . .”   “Plain’s fanciful essay launches a solo fiddling tune on a virtuoso journey through the realms of modern orchestral technique.  Once again, it was an enchanting trip.”” - Lawrence B. Johnson

““The world premiere of Gerald Plain’s Portrait 1: Sally Goodin deserves more space than is here available.  . . . treats the [folk] tune fascinatingly and fascinatedly - even lovingly.  Neatly done.”” - Mitch Mendelson

““. . . a fascinating work.  Faintly Coplandesque, remotely Ivesian, Plain’s [Portrait 1: Sally Goodin] is a freshly inventive set of variations on the folk tune.  It was an invigoration appetizer.”” - Mitch Mendelson

““Clawhammer was a clear audience-pleaser.  Diatonic without being at all cloying, it was accessible, appealing and colorfully inventive.”” - Karen Campbell