Susan Haig conducts the South Orange Symphony, which will perform Antonin Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony on April 26.
The South Orange Symphony will mark the nation’s 250th anniversary with a performance of Antonin Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony.
Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World,” one of the most celebrated symphonies of all time, headlines the symphony’s free spring concert on April 26.
Tenor Keaun Guy and the Columbia High School Festival Choir, directed by Nicholas Diaz, will also team up with the orchestra. They originally planned to perform in the February concert but had to reschedule after February’s “big snow.”
Czech composer Antonin Dvořák lived in the US during the early 1890s and was fascinated by Native American music and African American spirituals. He drew on folk motifs to help foster an authentic American symphonic style. This “New World” symphony was an instant hit when premiered by the New York Philharmonic.
“It’s a thrill to work on this powerful work, with so many brilliant moments for every section of the orchestra,” said conductor Susan Haig. “The lyrical tunes in the first movement, English Horn melody in the 2nd, folk dance in the 3rd, and propulsive energy in the 4th add up to an epic journey.”
The concert takes place at the South Orange Middle School, 70 North Ridgewood Road on April 26 at 3 p.m.
Ferde Grofé’s colorful Mississippi Suite opens the program and evokes a boat trip down the Mississippi River, from sunrise at the headwaters in Minnesota to a rousing Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans.
Local tenor soloist Keaun Guy will sing Stephen Flaherty’s “Make Them Hear You” from “Ragtime,” and G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted.” The Columbia High School Festival Chorus joins the orchestra in Mozart’s exquisite “Ave Verum Corpus,” followed by Ysaye Barnwell’s a cappella “Wanting Memories.”
“The kids love this stylistic contrast – from Mozart’s sacred motet to music made famous by Sweet Honey in the Rock,” said Diaz.
The symphony performs three free Sunday concerts each year, and at special events such as the “Star-
Spangled South Orange” Fourth of July Celebration at Flood’s Hill, and a holiday Messiah Sing-Along at First Presbyterian & Trinity Church. Its mission is to present a diverse repertoire that spans classical traditions and popular forms and enhances the cultural life of our
community.
The Orchestra first rehearsed in 1949 at First Presbyterian and Trinity Church on Irvington Avenue in South Orange and has been active ever since. Its 55 professional and amateur musicians are from South Orange, Maplewood, and surrounding communities.
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