The October 20th concert is sponsored in part by
Someone asked to me after we announced the 2002 - 2003 concert season "Bren, do you have anything better to do than think up catchy titles for your concerts?" Well what could I say? "I was inspired," "I want to create a festive atmosphere," "I want the community to celebrate with us."
Yes we did come up with some catchy titles for our concerts and I will talk a little more about the individual concerts in the "Conductor's Notes" section of future editions. But I want to take a moment to talk about why we use catchy titles...........
You are reading this newsletter because you already have an interest in the orchestra and our concerts etc., but there is a huge body of people out there for whom the Bryan Symphony Orchestra is some nebulous, grandiose, elitist organization. This bothers me, and indeed should bother anyone who enjoys live music. You have been to BSO concerts know that while the day does expect a certain level of dignity and decorum we certainly wouldn't ask someone to leave because they were not wearing a suit and tie!
I spend a lot of my time as an advocate for music (and the Bryan Symphony in particular). I am shameless about taking any opportunity I can to talk to someone about music and trying to de-mystify our art form. I speak to people about the enrichment experience of seeing live music. I speak about the joys of being a part of that living entity that is a concert, and the relationship between the audience and the performer. Still, I feel there is a big body of young people that simply "don't get it!"
Being a single adult in Cookeville I am acutely aware of the choices that are out there for us young professionals! Indeed I have posed the question to more than one person "What do people in their 30's do in this town?" I would have thought that having something like a symphony concert and all the events and activities that go with that (the luncheons, pre-concert lecture, and social) would be a wonderful place for young professionals to get out and do more with their lives than hang out in bars! Those that I have "converted" have had a wonderful time and more than one of them are now subscribers. They have embraced the symphony and all that it stands for partly because of the encouragement and open welcome they received.
Jim Lotz, our wonderful bassoonist, tells a story about when he was working in a record store and this construction worker came in (jeans, boots, flannel shirt etc) and asked him to show where they kept the records of "Them ladies singing real high." Jim figured out that he wanted opera and sold him some album. A week later the guy was back looking for more, and a week later and a week later. This construction worker had discovered opera and was now a closet fan!
We need closet fans. Even more importantly, we need to get these people out of the closet and into the concert hall. Each and every person who reads this should become an advocate for music. What good is it for you to enjoy something if you don't share it with future generations? Orchestras around the world are suffering from the "aging audience syndrome" meaning that they are failing to continuously attract new audiences of younger people - and I speak particularly of the young adults (30 - 40 yr olds) who can propagate the love for orchestral music for themselves and their offspring.
So when you see a catchy title for a concert, understand that we are in a competition with movie theaters, slick theme parks, flashy car manufacturers etc for the "entertainment dollars" of the young professional. While we like to market ourselves with pizzazz and flair with catchy titles, what is going to attract these young audiences are YOU our current audience. You become our advocate, our ally and the one who will help bring in those people to help support this orchestra for our fortieth year and on into the future.
So leave the throwing of the musical party to us on stage - you will not be
disappointed!. You have been our greatest ally for 39 years and we cannot
thank you enough for the support given. Many of you have worked with the
organization in one way or another and volunteered your time for that. Now
join me and take on the mantle of joining me as an advocate for the arts,
music and the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy the party!!
| Townsend | Aishling |
| Elgar | Concerto for Cello and Orchestra |
| Berlioz | Symphonie Fantastique |
VOTE ON-LINE
FOR THE SYMPHONY TO BE PLAYED ON NOVEMBER 17:
MOZART SYMPHONY NO. 40
OR
HAYDN SYMPHONY NO. 100 (MILITARY).
Prelude and Coffee: Conversations with the Conductor
WCTE-TV Channel 10
Saturday, April 20, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 9:00 p.m.
Symphony Social
CRAWDADDY'S
53 West Broad Street
Friday, October 18th
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
$15.00 for Association members;
$30.00 for non-members
Reservations required by October 14th
Call 372-6088 or
Remember: Special dinner rate at Crawdaddy's immediately following Social!
Prelude and Coffee: Conversations with the Conductor
WCTE-TV Channel 10
Thursday, October 10th, 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, October 19th, 8:00 p.m.
Concert Preview
by Dr. Catherine Godes
October 20th, 2:00 p.m.
(Immediately preceding concert)
Bryan Fine Arts Building, Room 223
Free
Our opening concert features two familiar works and one that I have a vested interest in making familiar to audiences here and around the country.
In 1998 the Cork Youth Orchestra (in my hometown of Cork, Ireland) commissioned my father to write a piece to celebrate the orchestra's fortieth anniversary. He and two of his siblings had been founding members of the orchestra and when it celebrated the 30th anniversary my two brothers and I were all members of the orchestra. In writing the piece, dad wanted to focus on the passing of time and what influence that has had both on Ireland as a nation and the Cork Youth Orchestra itself. The resulting music is in my (biased) mind something that is both inspiring and uplifting - and very Irish!!
When we opened last season with the William Tell Overture I knew immediately upon hearing Michael Samis play that wonderful beginning solo that I wanted him to play with the orchestra as a soloist this year. I couldn't have been happier when he suggested to me that we do the Elgar Cello Concerto as it is one of my personal faviorites - indeed I am fortunate enough to have performed it myself. This piece has such soaring melodies, great poignancy, incredible depth of emotion and a partially rambunctious finale, that it shows the cello off in all its glory. Having become the signature piece for the late Jacqueline Du Pre - who's recording of the piece accompanied by Sir John Barbirolli is even today regarded as the "definitive" recording - this wonderful concerto contains many memories for me and cellists around the world. I am delighted to have Michael come and play this concerto and I know he will make a magnificent job of it.
An finally - SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE............ who would have thought that in a little town of Cookeville you would get to hear such a wonderful work played live. Well the fortunate set of circumstances that have led to us being able to do this work here are too boring to go into. But suffice it to say that this masterwork of the orchestral literature is going to blow your socks off!
What I most excited about, however, is that this first concert will mark a new era for the BSO - Multimedia Concerts!! With a mixture of prints and copies of old drawings and paintings and new and original artwork by two of our own students at Tennessee Tech and their teacher Dr. Patricia Coleman our audience will hopefully be given an even deeper understanding of the music of Berlioz through pictorial depictions. This is a new adventure for us, and while we won't want to incorporate it in every concert, it is a feature you will see more of in the future.
What a year we have planned to mark this auspicious occasion.
-- Brendan Townsend
We have also added a new fundraiser this year, the Buy-a-Note campaign. We are asking you, the audience, to put your money where your ear is. If we raise the $20,000 it takes to buy every note of it, you will get to hear, at the end of the season, the beloved "Romeo and Juliet Overture" by Tchaikovsky in its entirety. But the responsibility lies with you! Just to pique your interest further, the orchestra will play whatever has been raised to that point at each concert, but only that and not a note more. You will also get a chance to track the progress of the campaign with a painting of the two lovers which Pat Coleman, TTU art faculty member, has graciously offered to paint for us. This will be done in stages as the money is raised. This should be a very fun campaign, and we certainly hope you can give Juliet a face by the end of the year!
Jan Tate, President
Bryan Symphony Orchestra Association
Our first Symphony Social will be on October 18, 2002 form 7-8:30 at Crawdaddy's Restaurant - outside in the courtyard, weather permitting. Mark Bailey, owner of Crawdaddy's, has extended to all who attend the Social a special rate for dinner afterwards.
We're changing our auction format somewhat this year by having only one extensive auction at the end of the concert season. We're planning the auction for the Symphony Social in either March or April. We'll keep you posted on the date. This Social will be the biggest and the best! Join us for our first BSO Social on October 18th at Crawdaddy's Restaurant, and hear what our conductor, Brendan Townsend, will tell us about the concert for October 20th. Remember to call the BSO office at 372-6088 for reservations. If you haven't already joined our Association, please do so.
WE NEED YOU SUPPORT AND MEMBERSHIP!!!
Happy Fall - see you on October 18th!
Brenda S. Smith, Volunteer Coordinator
Bryan Symphony Orchestra Association
Bryan Symphony Orchestra
Office: Room 355 372-6088
Bryan Fine Arts Building
e-mail address: bryansymphony@tntech.edu
Gail Luna, Executive Director and Co-editor of Notes and Notices
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