News & Reviews - Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra

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Ted McIrvine's review of the performances by the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra.

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A Carolina Christmas

Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra Presents Annual Christmas Concert

The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with the Greenville Chorale, is proud to announce this year’s holiday concert, “A Carolina Christmas”.

The concert, sponsored by Carolina Village, will be held on Saturday, December 11, at 4 p.m. It will be held at the Mud Creek Baptist Church, in order to allow sufficient seating for the large audience expected for this popular concert.

The conductor of this year’s concert is Dr. Bingham Vick, who has been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the 150-voice Greenville Chorale for 40 years and will be retiring from that post after this year. He has also been a Furman faculty member since 1970, conducting the Furman Singers, a nationally recognized choral organization. For this concert, Bing Vick is conducting instead of his colleague Thomas Joiner, who is presently on a sabbatical in Italy.

The concert will begin with “Joy to the World – a Fanfare for Christmas Day” composed by Randol Bass for the Boston Pops Orchestra under Keith Lockhart. The HSO will then play the popular overture to “Hansel and Gretel” by Engelbert Humperdinck. The Chorus will sing “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” by Michael Praetorius and Jan Sandstrom, which is a favorite of accomplished choral groups. The next traditional Christmas Carol, “Away in a Manger “, will be conducted by Mr. William Graves, who won this privilege during the annual HSO benefit auction last June.“ Angels We Have Heard on High” arranged by Mack Wilberg will follow.

The Orchestra will play the delightful “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” which has been a Christmas season staple. The Greenville Choral returns with “Carol of the Bells” in an arrangement by Peter Wilhousky.

“White Christmas” by Irving Berlin follows, which is one of the most beloved of all Christmas songs, with Bing Crosby’s version still holding the record for most copies of a single song sold. The traditional English song, “Greensleeves” arranged by Alfred Reed will then be played by the HSO.

The Chorale and Director Vick will then invite the audience to join them in a spirited version of “Twelve Days of Christmas”, after which they will offer the “Twelve Days AFTER Christmas”. The audience will once again participate by singing “O Come, All Ye Faithful” in a version using a brass fanfare from the orchestra arranged by David Willcocks. They will then join the chorus in a moving version of “Silent Night”.

The orchestra finishes the program with two favorite works, beginning with “Merry Christmas” by John Williams, who provided music for the movie “Home Alone” and ending with a delightful version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” arranged by John Rutter.

The HSO and the Interfaith Assistance Ministry are partnering to hold a holiday food drive to benefit families in need in Henderson County. Non-perishable food donations will be accepted at the Christmas concert. Tickets for the concert are $35, students $5 and are available from the following outlets in Hendersonville: Visitors Center, Opportunity House, Wickwire Art Gallery, Hand in Hand Gallery, and the Laurel Park Wine Market, Tickets may also be obtained by calling the symphony office at 828-697-5884.

Special Offer: Buy 2 tickets for A Carolina Christmas and get one ticket free to one of these remaining concerts: Old Masters & Young Geniuses on March 19 or The Beginning of Romanticism on May 7.

The Composer & The Pianist

Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra Continues Season with
“The Composer & The Pianist”

The third season of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven symphony cycle continues with the Overture to Egmont and Symphony No. 8 in the concert The Composer & The Pianist, which will be performed at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall on October 9 at 7:30 p.m. The HSO will be joined by pianist Yakov Kasman, performing Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor.

Sergei Rachmaninoff composed the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 between the autumn of 1900 and spring of 1901. Rachmaninoff, as the soloist, first performed the second and third movements in December 1900. The complete work was premiered, again with the composer as soloist, in October 1901, with Alexander Siloti conducting. The Concerto is probably Rachmaninoff's most popular piece. It helped to cement his reputation as a composer of concerti. This piece played an important role in the composer’s life since it ended a period of deep clinical depression that followed the derision of his first symphony, in 1897. The concerto was dedicated to his physician, Nikolai Dahl, as a result.

The concerto will be performed by the eminent Russian pianist, Yakov Kasman, who returns for his second engagement with the HSO. Mr. Kasman won the silver medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. This was the culmination of several competition triumphs, including the 1991 London World Piano Competition, the 1992 Arthur Rubinstein International Competition, and the 1995 International Prokofiev Competition. This Moscow Conservatory-trained master has garnered numerous recording awards in France, as well as “Superlative” ratings from the American Record Guide. Performing to raving audiences in the United States, Russia, Europe, and Asia with more than forty orchestras, including the Orchestra de Lille in France, the Singapore Symphony, the Moscow Philharmonia Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic, he consistently displays equal parts fierce technique and fluent emotion.

The melody has been used in many songs and movies, including Frank Sinatra’s “I Think of You”. The slow second movement and the Allegro scherzando finale also display melodies that will be recognized from a variety of movies including “Full Moon and Empty Arms”

The HSO continues its series of all of the Beethoven Symphonies with a performance of the Eighth Symphony in F major, Op. 93. This symphony is generally charming and light-hearted, and in many places is cheerful and boisterous. Some passages in the symphony seem to be musical jokes. The symphony is different from most classical symphonies in that the last movement is the most substantial of the four. Beethoven began this work in 1812, shortly after finishing the Seventh Symphony, and it was at a difficult time in his life with deafness and family problems on his mind. The work was dedicated to Count Moritz Fries, who was helping Beethoven financially. The premier occurred in February of 1814 along with a performance of the powerful Seventh Symphony. With the deaf Beethoven conducting, the orchestra followed the lead of the principal violin, and the audience clearly preferred the Eighth. Beethoven was displeased with the lack of appreciation for the Eighth, as he considered this work “much better” than the Seventh Symphony.

The Egmont Overture, op. 84, by Beethoven was written as a set of incidental pieces for the 1787 play “Egmont” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It consists of an overture followed by a sequence of nine additional pieces scored for full symphony orchestra. Beethoven wrote it in 1810, and it was premiered in June of that year. In this piece, Beethoven exalted the sacrifice of the hero, the Count of Egmont, who was condemned to death for having stood up against oppression. The overture is a very powerful piece and is reminiscent of the Fifth Symphony in this regard. This is one of the last works of Beethoven’s middle period and the political statement reflects his strong feelings toward Napoleonic domination of Europe.

The concert will be held at 7:30 PM on October 9 at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall. Tickets for the performance are $35, students $5 and are available from the following outlets in Hendersonville: Visitors Center, Opportunity House, Wickwire Art Gallery, Hand in Hand Gallery, and the Laurel Park Wine Market, Tickets may also be obtained by calling the symphony office at 828-697-5884.

Old Masters & Young Geniuses

Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra Presents
Old Masters and Young Geniuses

(March 8, 20100, Hendersonville, NC)- Old Masters & Young Geniuses is the concert title for the upcoming Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra concert at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 19 at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall. The “Old Masters” are the experienced musicians of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra and the “Young Geniuses” are the young musicians of the HSYO Youth Symphony. The HSYO Youth Symphony, led by Dr. Michael Weaver, is composed of talented students from all over Western North Carolina, including Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania Counties.

Performing for the first half of the evening’s concert, the HSYO Youth Symphony will present Vaughan Williams’ Quick March from Sea Songs, Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”, and Grieg’s Norwegian Dances, Op.35. The second half of the concert will be performed by the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra.

“My favorite part about the HSYO is the higher caliber music we are introduced to,” states West Henderson High School junior Ashley Heywood.

“The music pushes you to not only listen to your part and watch the conductor, but to constantly be aware of what every other player is doing,” states Mallory Carnes, also of West Henderson High School. “It requires focus and drive.”

All of the students have been accepted into the Youth Symphony by audition. All students must commit to practicing their music on their own in addition to attending weekly rehearsals at Blue Ridge Community College. In addition, most Youth Symphony musicians take private lessons on their instruments as well as playing in their local school orchestras and bands.

Not only are these young people very talented musicians, they have ambitious and honorable goals, as well. Casey Denham, Flautist in the Youth Symphony, is the 2011 Valedictorian of North Henderson High School and is one of only seven North Carolina students to be accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her goal is to work for NASA as an aeronautical engineer. Bassoonist and homeschooled senior from Buncombe County, Meghan Fine, has decided to be a missionary in Africa. Other career goals include elementary school teacher, cardiopulmonary technologist, music teacher, music therapist, nurse, pilot, church musician, veterinarian and economist, just to name a few.

This unique concert, structured to present a talented youth symphony orchestra in addition to the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, offers the community a real opportunity to support the youthful and mature artistic talent living in the Western North Carolina region.

The Youth Symphony season runs from September through May. The orchestra performs three concerts during its season and also participates in the Berrian String Festival in the fall, in addition to several fundraiser events each year.

Tickets for the concert are $25, students $5 and are available from the following outlets in Hendersonville: Visitors Center, Opportunity House, Wickwire Art Gallery, Hand in Hand Gallery, and the Laurel Park Wine Market, Tickets may also be obtained by calling the symphony office at 828-697-5884.

An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein

Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra Kicks Off Season with
“An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein”

(August 16, Hendersonville, NC )-The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra begins its 39th Season under the baton of Maestro Thomas Joiner with the always-popular Pops concert, which this year is devoted to the music of Rogers and Hammerstein. The Orchestra will play songs from the famous musicals by this great partnership, including those from The Sound of Music, Carousel, South Pacific, Oklahoma, State Fair and The King and I. The concerts, which will be part of the Hendersonville Apple Festival Weekend on Friday and Saturday, September 3 and 4, will feature Soprano Jacquelyn Culpepper, and Baritone Dan Boye singing some of the most beloved of the songs.

Richard Rogers originally wrote in collaboration with Lorenz Hart, but after Hart’s death in 1943 he teamed with Oscar Hammerstein and formed the most successful songwriting pair American musical history. Hammerstein wrote the lyrics and was steeped in opera and operetta, while Rogers, with more of a background in song and comedic musicals, wrote the music. Their first collaboration produced “Oklahoma,” which played on Broadway for 2,248 performances, and won a Pulitzer Prize. They then went on to create Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and the Sound of Music to tremendous success.

The program will include “A Richard Rogers Portrait” arranged by Bruce Chase, “It’s a Grand Night for Singing,” from State Fair, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” and People will Say We’re in Love” from Oklahoma. “Something Wonderful” as well as a medley of selections from The King and I will also be presented.

After the intermission, “Carousel Waltz” arranged by Calvin Custer, will be followed by a trio of songs from the same musical, including “June is Bustin’ Out all Over”, “If I Loved You”, and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. The orchestra will then perform selections from the “Sound of Music,” followed by “Some Enchanted Evening” and other selections from South Pacific.

The concert will be held at 7:30 PM on September 3rd and 4th at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall. Due to the popularity of this event, patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early.

Tickets for the performance are $35, students $5 and are available from the following outlets in Hendersonville: Visitors Center, Opportunity House, Wickwire Art Gallery, Hand in Hand Gallery, and the Laurel Park Wine Market, Tickets may also be obtained by calling the symphony office at 828-697-5884. Season tickets are also still available.

The Beginning of Romanticism

Hendersonville Symphony Presents The Beginning of Romanticism

On Saturday, May 7, Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra (HSO) will present The Beginning of Romanticism. The HSO continues their five-year-long cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies, with a performance of the great Third Symphony, “the Eroica”. Beethoven wrote this work after he had achieved fame for his early works, and it represents both the highest expression of classical music and the entry into the Romantic era. In 1803, Beethoven was deeply troubled by increasing deafness, and wrote his famous Heligenstadt testament – a last will indicating that he would commit suicide were it not for his art. This document, discovered after his death, signaled a psychological change, which unleashed the power and boldness of his later works. Originally Beethoven dedicated the Symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte, but upon being told that Napoleon had declared himself emperor, he said “now he too will tread under foot all the rights of man… and become a tyrant!” and famously tore the dedication page.

The Eroica was a monumental construction compared to classical symphonies such as those of Mozart. The first movement was longer and more complicated than entire symphonies that preceded it. The novelty of the work was criticized at the time as being a “colossal piling of ideas”. Using bold and unexpected harmonies, ambiguous rhythms, involved counterpoint and an unusual and powerful use of wind instruments, he challenged the contemporary listener with an array of new sounds.

The first movement is, typically for Beethoven, built from two rather simple motives, the first of which is announced by the cellos immediately following the opening chords. The development of this and the second subject gives rise to a climactic fortissimo statement that creates the “heroic” feeling that is reflected in the title “Eroica”. The second movement is a dramatic funeral march, which contemporary listeners found to be unusual and difficult to accept. The third movement, which would have typically been a minuet in the classical era, was replaced by a Scherzo, which is intended to be a light-hearted, fast paced piece (scherzo literally means “a joke”). This scherzo has the overall form of a minuet movement and provides a pleasing contrast to the preceding funeral march. The last movement provides overall balance to the Symphony.

The winner of the Hendersonville Symphony “Young Artist Competition” is pianist, Chambers Loomis, from Asheville. He will be playing the first movement of the piano concerto in A minor, Op. 54, by Robert Schumann. Written in 1845, this work is one of the most beloved piano concerti of the romantic era. The work begins with an introduction by the strings and timpani, after which the piano enters with an energetic descending statement. The oboe and winds then create the first theme and hand it to the pianist. There are beautiful sections shared by the clarinet and piano, a very substantial cadenza by the solo piano, and an exciting finish with the orchestra.

The concert, The Beginning of Romanticism, will be held at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall at 7:30 p.m. on May 7. Tickets for the concert are $30, students $5 and are available from the following outlets in Hendersonville: Visitors Center, Opportunity House, Wickwire Art Gallery, Hand in Hand Gallery, and the Laurel Park Wine Market, Tickets may also be obtained by calling the symphony office at 828-697-5884.