We've all seen the distinctive, black-and-white posters, the boy and his tiger dancing to music. Savage began advertising last semester for his concert, creating a Facebook group and recruiting friends and acquaintances for support, but no one expected the tremendous response. "Buckley has a capacity of 450, and I think there were at least 50 people who were sitting in the aisles or standing at the back," said Savage, thrilled by the wonderful show of support.
The "Calvin & Hobbes Suite" itself was comprised of four movements, each of which based on a specific Calvin & Hobbes strip. Savage's choice of Sunday strips rings particularly true to the originality of Bill Watterson's creation, for it was through the expansive canvas and the liberal, bold use of colors in his Sunday layouts that Calvin and Hobbes came to life. Savage would prove later that evening to be quite the artistic revolutionary himself.
The opening act, "Billy Goes to the Seashore and has His Legs Eaten by a Shark" featured fellow senior Michael Yang on the flute, backed by Savage on the piano. Written by Savage in 2005, this piece of whimsy set the tone for a light-hearted yet ample display of talent.
Savage managed the transition from the opening tune to the main act with a little banter, thanking everyone who helped with his musical masterpiece. Moving seamlessly into the first movement, "Ode to Tigers," Savage displayed his vocal talent with help from Andrew Rubenstein '07 and Eve Turow '09. Savage engaged the audience, calling on them to sing along. "If you want to dance, dance, dance, just start moving," the crowd chanted enthusiastically to the lyrics.
In his concert program, Savage noted his commitment to variety and sensitivity for the audience. "I've attempted to uphold the spirit of Calvin & Hobbes by working with both 'popular' and 'classical' styles to express my music,' he wrote, "but always with the emphasis on making it an enjoyable and meaningful listening experience for anyone." With generous performances from the Zumbyes, the Blue Stockings and the Amherst College Jazz Ensemble, there was indeed something for everyone as jazz, reggae, funk and classical music all came together swimmingly.
Entitled "The Torment of Existence Weighed Against the Horror of Nonbeing," the second movement of "The Calvin & Hobbes Suite" stood in contrast to the lively beat and carefree attitude of the first. It was a testament to the depth of Savage's compositional versatility, as it featured 19 instrumentalists of the Jazz Ensemble along with vocals by the Zumbyes and the Bluestockings.
Savage picked up the tempo once again in the third movement, "Calvinball." Savage once again sang lead vocals, accompanied by Rubenstein, Turow, and Kendahl Goldwater-Feldman '08. "Olly-Wolly Polliwoggy Ump-Bump Fizz!" You just couldn't help but tap your feet.
In the final movement of his ensemble "Christmas Eve," Savage then caught the crowd by surprise with an a cappella piece performed by the Zumbyes and the Bluestockings. The beautiful, full sound created by these 25 vocalists moved its audience easily as much as Watterson's eponymous original strip must have touched hearts by perfectly capturing the essence of Christmas.
Savage says he took an interest in music at an early age, experimenting with the "ivories" when just six years old. "My parents first got me interested when they got me a Miracle Keyboard piano education game for the original Nintendo," he wrote in his notes.
The youthfulness is still very evident, but on the strength of his honors thesis, Savage has come some way since his Nintendo-keyboard playing days. The composition and performance certainly merited the unexpectedly large crowd that it summoned; their fervent applause and a much deserved standing ovation spoke volumes, even as the final A-major chord faded from their ears.