CdA Orchestra schedules annual family event

Where can families see a laser light show, hear the spirited music of seven “personified” planets, and receive an introduction to the orchestra – all free to youth ages 18 and under?

At the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra’s next performance.

Sure to strike the right note with families, this special concert will be held in North Idaho College’s Schuler Auditorium on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The concert has been an annual event for over 10 years.

More than 80 musicians will play such pieces as Edward Benjamin Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” and Gustav Holts’ “The Planets.” The laser light show, which children of all ages, as well as adults, will enjoy, will accompany the “The Planets.”

Marilyn Montgomery, chairman of the symphony’s board of directors, said she is excited about the concert.

“The idea for this concert is to build new audiences for the music of a symphony orchestra,” she said.

Sandy Daniel, symphony manager, says the concert will also feature more vocalists.

“In addition to the 80 musicians on stage, which is almost 20 more than usual, we’ll have 20 vocalists, and the sound will be astounding. I love the family concert; it’s always an enjoyable length and has something fun going on,” Daniel said.

For those unfamiliar with Holts’ “The Planets,” Montgomery elaborates.

In “The Planets,” Holst, (1874-1934), an English composer, personified the planets, musically and emotionally, to give them a mythological, orchestral setting. He studied astronomy, mythology and mathematics and was acquainted with the Greek idea of the Music of the Spheres. There was no suite for Pluto, as it wasn’t discovered until 1930.

“The ‘Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,’ ” Montgomery said, “is a piece that introduces the various sections of the orchestra: strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion. It builds on a theme by Henry Purcell,” a baroque composer and musician.

The piece, composed by Britten in 1946 to accompany “Instruments of the Orchestra,” (an educational film made by the British government), is a classic introduction to the sound of the orchestra for the young, and young at heart. A beautifully crafted work, it’s one of Britten’s tributes to Purcell (1659-1695). The showpiece’s re-emergence of the Purcell theme (taken from the incidental music to “Abdelazer”) at the height of the fugue, is considered one of the great moments in 20th century music.

The concertmaster for the evening will be Philip Baldwin, director of string studies and assistant professor of violin at Whitworth College. He’s also director of the Whitworth Orchestra, is a member of the Spokane Symphony and is the conductor of Spokane’s Junior Symphonic Orchestra. He’s also president of the Washington Chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

The conductor of both of the evening’s pieces will be David Demand, artistic director of the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra, as well as director of music at St. George’s School in Spokane. He is the former company pianist with the prestigious Joffrey Ballet in New York and was the principal keyboardist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony.

The evening’s narrator will be Virginia Johnson, chairwoman of NIC’s Division of Communication, Fine Arts, and Humanities. Johnson was recognized by NIC for “Outstanding Faculty Achievement” by the Association of Community College Trustees as National Teacher of the Year. As a Chautauquan, Johnson performs as Mary Wollstonecraft, an 18th century English writer and women’s rights advocate.

Montgomery said youth will benefit greatly from attending the concert.

“Young people should find a new or renewed appreciation for the excitement and emotional depth of symphonic music,” she said. “Young people have easy and daily access to other kinds of music. We provide a quality experience.”

Besides producing the family concert, each year, the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra provides music scholarships for up to four college music students. The nonprofit organization is supported by volunteers and donations.

Montgomery said that in order to meet the needs of families with young children, the concert will be shorter than normal and performed without an intermission. The free tickets are available on demand at the NIC box office. Adults still have to pay for the tickets, and there is a small handling fee. No handling fee will be charged for the free tickets to youths.

Tickets can also be purchased by calling (800) 325-SEAT (Spokane, 509-325-SEAT), or visit www.ticketswest.comonline.