- Sue Condit
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Youth Orchestra rehearsing now for June 3 concert
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Symphony Association Youth Orchestra is hard at work rehearsing for its annual concert, taking place at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at Lakeport’s Soper-Reese Theatre.
The theme for this year’s concert will be “Creatures and Beasts,” and will feature recognizable tunes from classical to contemporary.
This year the orchestra will play four arrangements by Jeff Dixon, a retired music teacher and principal from Lake County.
As is tradition, the program will open with the Symphony Association’s string music classes. The classes include cello, viola and violin, with students from fourth grade to adult.
Teachers Jeff Ives and Clovice Lewis will conduct pieces the students have worked on in their classes. String instruction classes have been made possible by a generous grant from the Lake County Wine Alliance.
The Youth Orchestra will then take the stage with conductor Sue Condit to perform the second movement from the Brandenburg Concerto, No. 3 by J. S. Bach. This arrangement, adapted and arranged by Merle J. Isaac, showcases difficult passages in all instrument parts, and was performed in the November 2017 concert at the Soper-Reese.
The Allegro from “The Creatures of Prometheus” by Ludwig van Beethoven was written for a ballet in 1801. Based on Greek Mythology, it recounts the story of Prometheus, and how through trickery, he stole fire from Zeus.
“Beauty And The Beast,” the main theme from the movie, written by Menken and Ashman, and arranged by Jeff Dixon, features challenging rhythms and a solo line played by concert master, Rafael Contreras.
“The Fox,” written by Mikkel Ericksen, et al., and arranged by Jeff Dixon, is a popular tune known to most young people, as is the Youtube video with hip hop dancing and computer generated scenes. It is known for its difficult rhythms and driving musical lines.
The first half will end with “The Thing Under The Bed” by Lauren Bernofsky, an internationally recognized composer who has won numerous awards for her composing. This piece features chromatic music and interesting rhythmic passages.
The concert’s second half will open with “The Muppet Show” (Medley) by Hanson and Pottle, and arranged by Jeff Dixon. Recognizable tunes such as “The Muppet Show” theme, “Being Green,” “Rubber Duckie” and “Rainbow Connection” are featured.
“How Does a Moment Last Forever” by Menken and Rice, and arranged by Jeff Dixon is another lyrical tune from “Beauty And The Beast.”
“Hunting The Wild Beast” by Brian Balmages takes the audience into the world of castles, knights and dragons. It tells the story of the pursuit of the dragon, but leaves the outcome to the imagination of the listener.
“Creepers In The Castle” by Ralph Ford is a fun piece that has a creepy and mysterious feel to it. It features the strings playing between the bridge and tailpiece.
The final piece on the program is “The Magical World Of Pixar,” arranged by Robert Longfield. Recognizable tunes from some of the most popular films include: “The Big Race,” “Nemo Egg,” (Main Theme), “The Spirit Of Adventure,” “The Glory Days,” “Ratatouille Main Theme” and “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.”
Tickets are available in advance or can be purchased the day of the concert at the Soper-Reese Theatre for $10. The concert is free for those under age 18 and for season ticket holders.
Sue Condit is conductor of the Lake County Youth Orchestra.