New policy lets young people in for free
Norman Nelson, the Sooke Philharmonic conductor and music director, has put together another delightful year of music. As usual, the fall and June programs will be presented by the full Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, the two winter programs by the Sooke Chamber Players and Sooke Philharmonic Chorus, as well as the annual Tea and Symphony afternoon in February, the Don Chrysler Concerto Competition in April, the Garden Tour in June, and of course the Fling in July.
New this year are the performance venues. Last June, when the high school was closed down by the labour dispute, the orchestra was suddenly scrambling for an alternate venue, and found it in our spacious, homely Sooke Community Hall.
Norman Nelson picks up the story from there.
“Lo and behold, both orchestra and audience were delighted with the fullness of the sound we were making and listening to. So for the immediate future, this will be our home for the large orchestra concerts in Sooke.”
The Victoria concert last June took place in the Farquhar Auditorium at UVic. Our Maestro described it as “an incredibly stimulating and uplifting hall”, and added, “Our coming season is all the more exciting and fulfilling at the thought of the invaluable help provided to us by the sympathetic acoustics of our new venues.”
The other innovation this season is the decision to admit youngsters aged 16 and under free to all concerts.
“The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra has long been a supporter of youth involvement in music’,” said Bob Whittet, interim president of the Sooke Philharmonic Society. “We hope to encourage all young people to learn to enjoy the richness music can bring to their lives as members of the audience or as future performers.”
The first concert, A Celebration of Young Artists, will feature the winner of last April’s Don Chrysler Concerto Competition, Masahiro Miyauchi, playing Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto No.5. The orchestra will be joined by music students from School District 61 and 62 in the symphonic suite based on the popular Lord of the Rings theme music. Beethoven’s well-loved Eroica Symphony No.3 rounds out the program. These concerts take place October 25 and 26.
The November concerts are in the usual Sooke Baptist Church and New St. Mary’s Church in Metchosin. Rae Gallimore, who wowed the concerto competition audience with her artistry on the viola, will play Telemann, and Nancy Washeim will be back to sing Haydn.
Nancy Washeim and our SPO Chorus will also grace the March concerts along in a lovely program of song, psalm and lieder, again in the usual churches.
The Chorus, conducted by Wade Noble, is looking for new singers, particularly tenors and basses. Practices take place Saturday mornings in Sooke. Please call Merle at 250-642-7248 if you would like to know more.
The last concerts of the season (other than the Fling) are at the end of May. Highlights of the program are the Brahms Symphony No.3, and the Dvorak Cello Concerto, with soloist Brian Yoon, Principal Cello of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra..
For more details, see our 2014-2015 brochure or visit the website, sookephil.ca.
Norman Nelson, Wade Noble, soloists, orchestra and chorus are looking forward to playing this season’s wonderful works, and we hope you will be there to enjoy them.
