Ernest Bloch Society Bulletin, 1970, Number 3, Page 3, California

Memorial Grove Dedication – June 1969

“Orick!” boomed the driver as he brought his Greyhound Bus to a halt. A brief flurry of activity as we collected together our belongings – a headlong dash along the length of the bus – a precipitous leap down the steps – and finally the luxury of being able to stretch our legs once more . . . for eight soporific hours, Suzanne Bloch, her son Matthew, and I had been travelling south along Highway 101 from Portland, Oregon; now at last while ambling gently to the nearby motel, we could savor the clean, cool air of a mellow Northern Californian evening. We had not been installed more than a matter of minutes when, to the delight of all, Suzanne’s younger son Anthony entered the scene, having just hitchhiked 340 miles north from San Francisco.

Next morning we were driven by car six miles north to the campsite situated near the headquarters of Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. There family and friends had gathered with one spirit, with one intention – to honor the memory of Ernest and Marguerite Bloch.

Pilgrims from all parts of the United states and beyond, enthusiasts of all ages, devotees from all walks of life; everyone contributed to the dynamic character of the community. At the appointed hour we proceeded to the outdoor clearing in the giant redwoods, where Colin Hampton, president of the Ernest Bloch Society, officially opened the commemorations. After informal, scintillating talks by Lucienne and Suzann Bloch designed to engender a festive, rather than somber mood for the occasion we were privileged to hear two compositions by Ernest Bloch, performed by Bonnie Hampton, solo cello – the SUITE #1 and MEDITATION HEBRAIQUE – followed by a tape-recording of the Griller Quartet playing the first three movements of Bloch’s QUARTET #1. It was a powerful experience to listen to these worked in such peace and tranquility.

Spiritually refreshed, we then took the Irvine Trail (a four and a half mile hiking path to the Pacific Ocean) which would eventually bring us to the Memorial Grove dedicated to Ernest and Marguerite Bloch. It was an extraordinary hike; the magnificence of the Redwoods – to be seen to be believed – the fragrant aroma of the undergrowth through which we wended our way – quite overwhelming for a wide-eyed, hitherto uninitiated Englishman like myself . . .

A three and a half mile trek brought us to a small clearing; at one side was the bench with its bronze plaque, marking the ten acres forever preserved to the memory of the composer and his wife. It was time to rest, to eat, to capture the moment in photography, in conversation, in silence. Some of us hiked back, the others continued the last mile to Fern Canyon and Gold Bluff Beach.

The sea was very calm; and there as I sat on the beach tossing pebbles, gazing toward China, I began to feel and understand a little of the “cosmic view” which was so much a part of Bloch’s philosophy of life . . . the incomprehensible dimensions of space and time . . . I thought of London and Cambridge, six thousand miles the other way; they might just as well have existed on another planet . . .

We would have remained longer except for dusk. As it was, we returned to the campground in pitch darkness, hailed with much relief by the “advance party.” A blazing campfire lit up the surrounding woods and a table piled high with all manner of food and drink added to the convivial atmosphere. By some remarkable chance a radio tuned spontaneously to a San Francisco station gave forth the first powerful theme of Bloch’s SACRED SERVICE! Everyone held their breath in unbelief We all settled in various cars and tuned all the radios on the same wavelength, filling the forest with music. It was as if the Fates had decided to contribute a fitting and significant conclusion to this memorable event.

POSTSCRIPT

There were other people going home from the festivities who also happened to turn on the same station at 8 p.m. and heard the SACRED SERVICE. One was driving to Oregon in a rented car to fly back to Maine, another party was going to Los Angeles. When Lucienne Bloch Dimitroff thanked the station KKHI for their successful and magical ESP, Mr. Keith Lockhart, manager of the station, replied: “What a marvelous coincidence that we should schedule the SACRED SERVICE by your father the day of the Dedication of the Memorial Grove. Almost as marvelous is the fact that you happened to tune us in just as the music was playing. We are grateful to have been able to contribute to the success of that memorable day.”