White Rock Community Orchestra’s Family Concert will bring classics and popular favourites to Mount Olive Lutheran Church (2350 148 St.) this Saturday (March 18) at 7 p.m.
Designed as a family-friendly night of music during spring break, it will highlight some very young violin soloists – Amilia Lai, Kara Sun, Bellamy Cao and Luna Li – all of them students with WRCO’s concert master, Monika Neidzeilko.
“They are so adorable!” enthused WRCO Maestra Paula DeWit.
“I think that this is such a wonderful opportunity to showcase these amazing young musicians,” she said. “It’s a joy to give them an opportunity to perform with an orchestra.”
All will be playing mini-concerti with the now 25-strong orchestra, including composers as Borowski, Buchler and Perlman.
Also featured will be Li’s performance of the Spring movement from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – a reprise from last year’s popular concert at Memorial Park.
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DeWit added that all the repertoire for the concert has been chosen with an eye to pieces that are accessible to all family members.
From the world of the movies, the 007 Theme and the title music from Pirates of the Caribbean will be easily recognizable.
“Everyone likes ‘Pirates’,” DeWit said. “It’s actually quite challenging music.”
From the world of ballet, Aaron Copland’s angular, evocative Hoe Down is an excerpt from Rodeo.
By contrast, DeWit said, another piece, the lively Hoe Down-Showdown, “is much more a fiddlers’ tune.”
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There will also be two movements from Camille Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals; the Elephant and the Tortoise – the latter a slow piece (as might be expected) in which the composer cheekily borrowed the celebrated ‘Can Can’ theme from Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.
As another contrast, the orchestra will also play the original version, DeWit said.
“We are excited to have the Golden Spike Can Can Dancers join us for that piece,” she added. “So much fun.”
Tickets are $25 (adults); $20 (seniors); $10 (children) and a special ‘bring the family rate’ of $75 (maximum six people).
Tickets are available at the door, or pre-reserve online at www.wrco.ca
alex.browne@peacearchnews.com
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