Things Heat Up At The Symphony

On Saturday February 11 the Georgian Bay Symphony will finish off their concert with one of the most recognizable works of classical music, Ravel’s Bolero. Written as a ballet and first performed in Paris in 1928 it was immediately meet with popular success. Over the years it has appeared in many movie scores, most famously in the 1979 movie 10 staring Bo Derek. Sales of recording of the Bolero took a huge jump after that. In 1988 rock legend Frank Zappa he had an arrangement made to play during his World Tour. Despite its popularity Ravel himself never really much like the piece.

The afternoon concert “Waltzing Through the Winter” will feature many other well-known and significant classical music works. Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance No 1 a spirited piece based on Czech folk dances will liven up the afternoon. The concert will also include Mozart’s Concerto for Violin No 5. This was the last in a series of five violin concertos Mozart wrote over the summer at age 19!

For the last several years the orchestra has set the February afternoon concert aside to mix things up a bit and show case its own players. This concert will be no exemption. GBS flautists Meryl Gillmore and Dana Levette Wilkie take centre stage to perform Telemann’s Concerto for Two Flutes and Orchestra. Long-time GBS Concertmaster steps up to perform Mozart’s Violin Concert.

Ticket sales are already ahead of last year’s February concert numbers. “I think we have hit our stride with the right mix of music, to appeal to an audience looking for an escape from the February blues” says orchestra manager David Adair. “It is an afternoon of shorter well known works that should leave you tapping your toes.”

Concert starts at 3pm Saturday Feb 11 at the OSCVI auditorium on 8th Street E Owen Sound. Tickets can be purchased by calling the GBS office 519-372-0212 or at the door.