What is St. John's on Church Hill?

A few words about the new piece making its premiere at Sunday's Come & Play event in the words of the composer, D.J. Sparr...

The new piece is called “St. John’s on Church Hill” and it is a three-minute long fanfare. The work was inspired by the historical events that took place at the church in the time preceding the American Revolution… most notably the March 23, 1775 speech by Patrick Henry. It begins with long sustaining chords from the large section of strings and harps which is then build upon by the winds. Eventually, the brass come in with a melodic fanfare. This repeats three times getting shorter and more intense with each recapitulation. It is definitely an “American” sounding piece…If one likes Copland or Barber, this will be a good match.  When I arrange the other works for come and play, it is really about reducing the parts that are already there to something that is playable by a performer of any level, but in writing this new work, I could actually compose into the music parts that were easy to play but were structural to the piece. For instance, the chord that the strings play is performed by the participants. It uses all open strings, and the melody in the brass is based on notes from all of the open strings. An instrument like the harp will play easy glissandos, but the harp will be tuned to glissandos that are related to the chords structure of the piece. This forms the basis of what the more experienced players will play over, with the fanfare motive and climax.

A glance of what D.J. Sparr sees while composing his pieces...

Special thanks to Erin Freeman, Megan Osborne, Aimee Halbruner, Matt Gold, and Teka Phan for all of their help in this process.

Come & Play: What It's Really Like...

 

COME AND PLAY – from the perspective of a member of the crowd

Aaron Ellerbrock

Crowds!! I normally hate them. I mean come on, who doesn’t? I spend my life packed into a little sardine can flying from one end of the world to the other. So why does the fall season, with its promise of one of the biggest crowds I will encounter, make me as giddy and excited as Ralphie of A Christmas Story awaiting his Red Ryder BB Gun? The answer is because of the Richmond Symphony’s annual Come and Play!

I have had the pleasure of playing in this fantastic concert every year since Erin Freeman and the RSO Education Team came up with the concept 4 years ago. I have watched it grow from a huge ensemble its first year to something of epic proportions this year. It is crazy to think that I am playing in an orchestra that is 6, 7, 8 times the size of a normal one. Who gets to do that?

Seeing all the young musicians at Come and Play, helping them tune, maybe even giving them a tip on how to play a certain passage, gives me the opportunity to pay back my debt to all those who inspired me to make music a life long journey. (Thank you, Mrs. Krug and Mrs. Coffey).  Listening to the more “mature players” (a much nicer way to refer to us older folks) share stories about how music has shaped their lives fills me with such excitement that the unheard of happens…I can’t wait for the crowd to get even bigger.

I have lived in several cities that are known for their outstanding orchestras; DC, New York, Cincinnati. I have sat mesmerized and totally immersed in the beautiful music they play as my mind draws images that helps the music tell a story. However, I truly believe the Richmond Symphony with its Come and Play has the greatest story ever to be told. It is a story full of energy, mystery, anticipation, love, commitment, and caring. No matter if you are playing in the ensemble or participating as a listener you can’t help but be drawn into the story. And the great thing is: it is always a happy ending.

Playing in this ensemble has given me so much. I think the most important thing is that I feel a true sense of community. Each year I become more a part of Richmond, of music education, and of feeling pride in one of our city’s greatest treasures, the Richmond Symphony. So bring on the crowds! May they continue to grow every year. Let’s fill the Siegel Center to capacity and make history as Dr. Freeman conducts the largest orchestra the world has ever seen! Who knows, maybe next year we can play something from The Music Man and actually have 76 trombones! OK…now I must sign off as the airline tries to figure out how to fit 175 passengers onto a 160 seat plane. Crowds!!!!! 

A Youth Orchestra Student Reflects on Side-by-Side

This week is an exciting one for our education department.  In addition to the now 4^th annual Come and Play, we also have our Side by Side concert, where the students in our top youth orchestra play with the Richmond Symphony.  The concert is Friday night at 7pm at the glorious CenterStage, and it’s FREE!  You should definitely check out this concert and be inspired by the talented kids
of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra.  The concert, however, just the tip of the iceburg for this project.  All fall, the students have worked intensively with the orchestra members, learning their music and the tricks of the trade.

Our principal flutist, Hannah, has been involved in this event for several years running.  Here are her thoughts:

Many RSYO students are interested in pursuing music as a career. Playing Side-by-Side with the Richmond Symphony players gives us a taste of life in a professional orchestra. We are exposed to the level of mature musicianship that inspires us to improve our technique and artistry. The symphony players take this concert just a seriously as they would any other, and demonstrate appropriate conduct both in full orchestra and sectional rehearsals that inspires us to do the same. We are able to tackle more challenging repertoire for this concert since we are doubling parts with the symphony players. Through the challenge, the students are introduced to new musical concepts that are improved upon through the rehearsal process. While the final product may not be perfect, since the symphony players are supporting us, we are confident in our performance. Many of the symphony players serve as private teachers for RSYO students, and playing alongside them offers a new set of challenges and rewards. For those who do not study privately with the symphony members, the rehearsals present the opportunity to develop relationships with them who help shape us as musicians through this concert. I have been influenced most by the three women in the flute section. They have supported me during my years in RSYO and have encouraged me to continue growing not only as a solo artist, but also as a strong member of the orchestra. They have given me
direct advice about leadership in an orchestra and their presence has motivated me to become a better principal player. Being surrounded by the rich fullness of an orchestra double the size of what we are normally a part of is a privilege I look forward to every year. It is rare for a youth orchestra to have the opportunity to rehearse and perform as one with a professional orchestra.

Latest Adventure of Ludwig van Beethoven

We've been sending Mr. Beethoven to all sorts of events in hopes the he will entice folks for the 2010 Transformation Campaign. The goal is to attract 2,010 new supporters to the Symphony during the 2010-11 season, including new subscribers, new individual donors and new business support.
Here is the latest photo from Mr. Beethoven!


In other news....Richmond Symphony was featured in a couple of news stories this week.

One in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about our concert tomorrow, Jefferson, In His Own Words, and the commission of that title piece. Other pieces that will be performed this Saturday (8pm) and Sunday (3pm) will be Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto No. 2 featuring principal cellist Neal Cary, and Dvorak's Symphony No. 6. Read the article here.

The other in Style Weekly on our departing concertmaster Karen Johnson, who is off to a new position next year as a member in the President's Own Marine band. Definitely a very exciting opportunity for her. She speaks with Don Harrison about her experiences as concertmaster. This weekend's concerts will be one of the last times you will be able to see her as concertmaster in Richmond. Read the article here.