GAMBIER – The Knox County Symphony, under the direction of Benjamin Locke, will present its final concert of the season on Sunday, April 26, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. in Rosse Hall on the Kenyon College campus in Gambier. The Symphony, completing its 49th season of operation, will join forces with the Kenyon Community Choir for two of the three compositions being presented.
The concert will commence with a performance of Peter Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B Minor (the “Pathetique”). Considered by many, including Tchaikovsky himself, to be his finest symphony, the work a dazzling array of lush themes, one of which was adapted for four separate popular songs between 1940 and 1970 in the United States. Tchaikovsky conducted the premier performance in October of 1893 and died just nine days later. This fact led to much speculation as to whether the symphony was a musical “suicide note,” but many scholars dispute that claim.
The second portion of the program includes two choral/orchestral pieces. The first is Cantata No. 150 by Johann Sebastian Bach, first performed in 1708. It is a setting of selected verses from Psalm 25, interspersed with commentary on the psalm excerpts by an unknown librettist. The second is “Libera me, Domine” by Benjamin Locke. Though written in 1992 and using avant-garde techniques, it draws upon medieval Gregorian chant for both text and melody. It was written to commemorate the passing of the composer’s mother.
This concert will mark the thirtieth year of collaboration between the Knox County Symphony and the Kenyon Community Choir. The choir is accompanied in rehearsal by pianist Patricia Pelfrey.
There will be a reception following the concert, and tickets will be available at the door. For more information, call Sarah Goslee Reed at 740-392-4955.
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IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE ENTERED IN A DRAWING TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE CONCERT, SEND AN EMAIL WITH YOUR NAME AND CONTACT NUMBER TO SALES@KNOXPAGES.COM.
