AU Symphony Orchestra Thanksgiving Concert

The Thanksgiving holiday is not as renowned for its musical associations as its neighboring holiday in December, but on November 23 the Andrews University Symphony Orchestra will explore themes of grace, friendship, and regeneration in their first “Thanksgiving” concert. The first half of the concert will be more loose in its interpretation of the holiday, as the AUSO’s conductor (Chris Wild) will join the orchestra as soloist in Haydn’s Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major. A sublime composition that was written for the central European court of Prince Esterházy in 1783, its tone reflects the warmth of the Thanksgiving feast and familiar faces. A concerto composition often requires a conductor to keep all its moving parts in sync, but for this performance Wild will lead the orchestra from his cello, relying on the expertise and communication inherent amongst the AUSO’s members. In this regard, the thanksgiving spirit will also be represented by the orchestra’s communal approach to realizing Haydn’s composition.

The orchestra at Andrews currently includes two graduate conducting students among its members. After seeing his colleague Kristii Rasmussen take the podium in October, Nehemias Calsin will now make his debut leading the orchestra in Claude Debussy’s Fêtes, a movement found within his larger set of Nocturnes. Fêtes is a word that can be translated to a celebration, festival, or party, depending on the context, and its infectious spirit is appropriate for a celebration of the harvest. As with the Carol Silent Night for our concert a year ago, Wild has arranged a sing-along to follow Fêtes; due to its themes of regeneration and gratitude, the Christian hymn Amazing Grace has become commonly heard surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. For this concert, the audience will be invited to sing all verses of the beautiful hymn while the AUSO accompanies them.

The final composition for the evening comes from a more unlikely and contemporary source. In 1982, Steven Spielberg’s science-fiction film E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial) become the highest-grossing commercial film made until it was later surpassed in sales by Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. For many of his films, Spielberg engaged American composer John Williams to create the musical setting for his characters. Although the E.T. story stretches the imagination, the core of its message is rather simple - the enduring power of family and friendship, and that those from seemingly different backgrounds may have more in common than first assumed. For this concert, the AUSO will close its program with the portion of the movie’s music that is heard near the ending’s emotional climax, titled Adventures on Earth.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major

-Intermission-

Claude Debussy - Fêtes from Nocturnes

William Walker & John Newtown, arr. Chris Wild - Amazing Grace

John Williams - Adventures on Earth from E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)

Symphony Orchestra

Conductor: Chris Wild

The Andrews University Symphony Orchestra is the core ensemble of the orchestral program at Andrews University. In addition to their current series at the Howard Performing Arts Center, the Symphony Orchestra travels within the Great Lakes region as well as internationally. Since 2006, the orchestra has performed in Italy, Austria, Germany, France, the Philippines and Costa Rica.