Windham Orchestra
BRUCKNER & SIBELIUS in Brattleboro & Saxtons River
On Friday, January 17 in Saxtons River, and Sunday, January 19 in Brattleboro, the Windham Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Hugh Keelan, presents a dynamic program ranging from Bruckner’s popular 19th century “Romantic” Fourth Symphony; to local composer Jan Norris’ new work “Melting Spring.”
In the music of Bruckner, time appears to stand still. Some of the images evoked in Symphony No. 4 are a ‘cathedral in sound’, the Romanticism of German folk tales, the sounds of brass and hunting horns, the quality of a massive pipe organ, heart-stopping chorales of intense fervor. Bruckner’s lineage is from Bee
thoven and Wagner, and yet sounds like neither. Listeners are awestruck at the intersection of simplicity and complexity, the extremes of loud and soft, density and lightness. Bruckner creates a vision of life beyond the earthly, and there is nothing like it in all of music.
“I am so excited about the brass playing in the Windham Orchestra! Our brass players are pillowed and supported by a rich string sound, and together we are entering a new world of power, subtlety and orchestral heft. Bruckner’s Symphony No.4 represents a new pinnacle for us all,” declares Maestro Keelan.
Sibelius’ “The Swan of Tuonela” featuring James Adams, English Horn; and von Suppé’s Overture “Light Cavalry” complete the Orchestra’s spirited program.
“Our first half starts in a remote place of mystery as a swan glides in the lake surrounding Tuonela, the Finnish Isle of the Dead,” notes Keelan, “and ends very brightly with a popular operetta overture, Light Cavalry, brilliant and full of mischief.”
The Windham Orchestra is excited to introduce local resident and neighbor Jan Norris as its featured Citizen Composer during the January performances. Keelan asserts that listeners will hear that Jan’s “Melting Spring” is very comfortable in a program with Bruckner and Sibelius.
Jan Norris is the owner of Delectable Mountain Cloth, a Main Street shop in Brattleboro, Vermont. Born and raised in Virginia, Jan has made music for over sixty years. After college she moved to New York City to sing and act. Jan supported herself as a free-lance clothing designer but realized that she wanted to make music and art more than have a career.
A self-taught singer, song writer and composer, Jan works entirely by ear. Me
lting Spring was written around 2004 and is included on A Little Heartbreak, a CD sampling of Jan’s large body of work. Her music is also featured in the video “Holding Our Own” about the Brattleboro Area Hospice’s Hallowell Singers.
Jan says she “loves making music.” She plays the piano almost every day and credits perseverance and the support of family and friends with enabling her to accomplish in music what she once thought would be impossible. Her advice is, “Continue to dream the impossible.”
The Orchestra encourages everyone to come and delight in all the contrasting works from these diverse backgrounds, including from here and now in Brattleboro!
Join the Windham Orchestra for Bruckner & Sibelius on Friday, January 17, 7:30 pm, at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT; or Sunday, January 19, 3 pm, at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, VT. The Orchestra invites the audience to name their ticket price, choosing anywhere from $5 to $65 for admission. Advance tickets are available by calling the Brattleboro Music Center at 802-257-4523 or on-line at bmcvt.org. For more
information about the Orchestra visit windhamorchestra.org.
Name Your Price
I like the Name Your Price option being used for this and other events around town. (Movies at the Latchis).
Studies have shown that when people pay their own price, more income is often generated than by having a set price. Those paying less than average are offset by those feeling generous, and more people can attend.
It would be interesting to hear a report on how these events do compared to set-price events.