Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra musical director Glenn Kassen can’t wait to kick off the Lethbridge Symphony’s fiftieth
birthday celebrations, Oct. 8 with the first Musaeus, Chamber Series presentation at the Southminster United Church.
Former music director Stewart Grant returns to lead Musaeus through the world premiere of J-P Jackson’s “Passacaglia for Oboe and String Quartet,” one of the last pieces Jackson composed for Musaeus.
As well, he will be performing Cimarosa’s Oboe Concerto, a set of harpsichord sonatas arranged for oboe and strings, and a few of his own compositions, plus Mozart’s String Quartet on G Major K. 387 and Schubert’s “Quartettsatz.”
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with the concert beginning at 8 p.m.
Music Director Glenn Klassen is impressed with the growth the 50 member mostly volunteer symphony has shown, even in the past seven years for which he has been part of them.
“They are organized and it speaks volumes about them that they continue showing growth. It impresses me,” said Klassen just before the Symphony’s kick off celebrations at City Hall, Oct. 1.
The entire symphony was present to play a variety of pieces including the score for the movie Titanic for a room filled with well dressed supporters and well wishers.
“We have have a great repertoire lined up (this season,)” Klassen continued adding there will be familiar favourites performed this season including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, during “Ode To Joy” Nov. 22 as well as Handel’s “Messiah” for their Cristmas concert, Dec. 4 and 5, Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, plus Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Overture,” Feb. 7 in addition to some never before performed compositions commissioned for the Symphony including several from J-P Christopher Jackson and one from local saxophonist and University of Lethbridge professor David Renter.
“David Renter’s Concerto For Saxophone and Orchestra has never been performed before. It will be literally hot off the press,” Klassen enthused adding Renter is still working on the composition for the May 9 performance.
“It will be a wonderful way to end the season,” he continued adding he can’t choose his favourites.
“We have a board and we work together to put together the season. We ask ourselves two questions— Does it appeal to the audience and does it appeal to the orchestra,” he said adding the orchestra sometimes gets particulary excited about a piece they want to perform, so they take that into account as well.
Also this weekend, The Lethbridge Symphony is going to Claresholm, Oct. 9 to perform at a fund-raiser with local country musician Trevor Panczak.
“We played similar shows with Doc Walker, The Chevelles and Fast Times. It is definitely different for us,” he said .
“Paul Walker arranged strings for one of Trevor’s songs and it came out really wonderful,” he said adding the next big show for the Symphony is their production of the musical “City of Angels,” Oct. 18-20 at the Yates Memorial Centre.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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