ALTYSO (ARK-LA-TEX-YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA) presents its spring side by side concert with the professional musicians of the Ark-La-Tx

Monday evening May 16, 2011, the ALTYSO will present its annual spring concert at Byrd High School Auditorium 7:00 PM. Beverly Houston conducts the Sinfonia and Chrisropher Allen will conduct the ALTYSO and the side by side  orchestra.Many of these students are taught by our own local professional musicians who play in the various orchestras in our community - Shreveport Symphony, Longview Symphony, Marshall Symphony, Texarkana Symphony and the South Arkansas Symphony.

Also referred to as the side-by-side concert, these student musicians from area schools who audition to become a part of this orchestra, play a segment conducted by their music director Chris Allen and then are joined by professional musicians from the ARK-LA-TEX for the side-by-side portion of the concert. Having participated as a player in these concerts for many years now, at the old EXPO Hall, the Red River Parkway venue and more recently at Byrd High School, I am aware how important this concert is to these students and to the future of our orchestras. These are the future players of and the audience for classical music.

See my post on Robert Trudeau's Shreveport blog.

www.shreveport.blogspot.com

Following are some photos from our rehearsal May 9 in the Byrd band hall.

ALTYSO music director Christopher Allen conducting the side-by-side orchestra

in the Byrd band hall

Concert photos May 16

More photos to follow

Shreveport Symphony Brass Duo in-school ensemble Apr 2011

In-School Ensemble Brass Duo at Stoner Hill Elementary 4-28-2011

Susan Rogers, horn and Rick Rowell, trumpet 

Rick Rowell demonstrating one of his many trumpet mutes

History of the Horn from valveless hunting horn to the modern valve double horn

Rick and his D hose pipe

photos by Cathey Sholar with my camera, edited by Susan Rogers

Our thanks to SSO's Cathey Sholar for attending all the school ensemble programs this year, providing the musicians with bottled water and taking photos. As soon as I receive photos of the other participating ensembles I will post them in a separate page on this blog.

Longview Symphony Orchestra Youth Concert 4-28-2011

The Longview Symphony Orchestra presented its annual childrens' educational concert in Belcher Auditorium at LaTourneau College last Thursday morning with Music Director Tonu Kalam on the podium. From Music of the Royal Fireworks to Strauss to "Hoedown" the area school children tapped and clapped along. Principals of each section played a few bars from a well known instrumental excerpt and finally two students came to the podium to conduct the orchestra for the last 16 measures of Copland's "Hoedown".

In a time when music and arts programs are being targeted for extinction in our public school systems and colleges, it should make all of us work even harder to ensure that these cuts don't extend to our orchestra educational programs. Our future audiences deserve our full attention.

LV students arriving for the program

Michael Davidson - subbing for LV

trombone section

LV percussion - Doug, Chan, Anthony

Colin

Guest student conductors

 

Celebrating a family wedding 4-30-2011

We have been visiting with family and friends for the past four days in celebration of my oldest son Hal's wedding last Saturday to Patty Murphy and in the process welcoming a new daughter-in-law and two additional grandchildren to our family. I will be sharing a few wedding photos this week along with some from last Thursday's Longview Educational Concert which I played. All I need is time to download a few hundred photos from my camera. No, I did not take the official wedding photos. My brother-in-law from Atlanta donated his time as a wedding gift.

Until another post then, enjoy the day and celebrate life.

Leaving the chapel to the tune of bubbles

Hal and Patty

Centenary Hurley School of Music - a recital by flutist Sally Horak, cellist Paul Christopher and pianist Dr. Francis Yang Tuesday April 26 7:30 PM

The Hurley School of Music, Centenary College of Louisiana, presents in recital flutist Sally Horak, 'cellist Paul Christopher and pianist Dr. Francis Yang, Tuesday evening 4-26-2011 at 7:30 PM. My thanks to Paul Christopher for providing the program repertoire with photos.

Free and open to the public



SSO 3rd Horn Kristine Coreil with daughters and Tom Hundemer - intermission

Tom Hundemer presenting flowers during the bows

 

PROGRAM

Partita in A Minor for solo flute, BWV 1013 .... J.S. Bach

Allemande

Corrente

Sarabande

Bourée anglaise

Sally Horak, flute

LLEF .... Hilary Tann (1947- )

Sally Horak, flute

Paul Christopher, cello

Suite No. 1 in G major for solo cello, BWV 1007 .... J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Prelude

Allemande

Courante

Sarabande

Menuet I and 2

Gigue

Paul Christopher, cello

Trio in G Minor, Opus 63 .... C.M. von Weber (1786-1826)

Allegro moderato

Scherzo: Allegro vivace

Shepherd’s Lament: Andante espressivo

Finale: Allegro

Sally Horak, flute

Paul Christopher, cello

Dr. Francis Yang, piano



The thunderstorm of all thunderstorms with tornado warnings swept through Shreveport/Bossier during this concert and continued NE through the South wreaking havoc. For those of us in the Anderson Auditorium it was certainly one of the safest places to be hanging out.