The classical music calendar highlights the Allentown Symphony Orchestra\u2019s \u201cSpace: The Final Frontier\u201d Pops concert and the Allentown Band\u2019s \u201cCarnegie Hall Preview Concert.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral years ago, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra [ASO] performed a space-related concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and I thought we should do a similar themed concert for our Pops audience,\u201d says Diane Wittry ASO Conductor and Music Director, adding, \u201cAnd it\u2019s great music for the whole family.\u201d<\/p>\n
ASO Pops presents \u201cSpace: The Final Frontier – \u2018Star Wars,\u2019 \u2018The Planets\u2019 and More,\u201d 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. March 14, Miller Symphony Hall.<\/p>\n
The program presents a menagerie of music from classics to television and film. Throw in a few Swing, Big Band and Broadway tunes and you have an entertaining concert.<\/p>\n
The concert opens with an appropriate classical work, a tone poem by Richard Strauss composed in 1896. Heard in the film, \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey,\u201d the piece is the immortal \u201cAlso Sprach Zarathustra Fanfare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many films have incorporated classical music such as composer Bill Conti\u2019s arrangements for the film, \u201cThe Right Stuff,\u201c with segments of \u201cJupiter\u201d and \u201cMars\u201d by English composer Gustav Holst.<\/p>\n
Composer Alexander Courage wrote the theme for the \u201cStar Trek\u201d television series, which started in 1966, and in 2013, Michael Giacchino wrote Star Trek\u2019s \u201cInto Darkness Suite.\u201d<\/p>\n
John Towner Williams has provided scores for television and films, including \u201cLost in Space;\u201d \u201cE.T the Extraterrestrial,\u201d \u201cClose Encounters of the Third Kind\u201d and nine \u201cStar Wars\u201d movies.<\/p>\n
From the Big Band era, the ASO performs Artie Shaw\u2019s arrangement of \u201cStardust,\u201d renowned for its lush string orchestration.<\/p>\n
Guest vocalist Jesse Posa, a Frank Sinatra impersonator who sings in New York and New Jersey, adds a special touch to the concert with the songs, \u201cFly Me to the Moon,\u201d \u201cCome Fly With Me,\u201d Elton John\u2019s \u201cRocket Man;\u201d David Bowie\u2019s \u201cSpace Oddity\u201d and \u201cSemper Supra\u201d (\u201cAlways Above\u201d), the anthem of the United States Space Force. Posa is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to great music, we have visuals to enhance the concert experience and audience sing-along opportunities,\u201d Wittry says, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s exciting, eclectic and a really great show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allentown Symphony Orchestra Pops, \u201cSpace: The Final Frontier – \u201cStar Wars,\u2019 \u2018The Planets\u2019 and More,\u201d 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. March 14, Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown; Free tickets for those age 21 and under. Tickets: box office: 610-432-6715; https:\/\/www.millersymphonyhall.org<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are grateful for the opportunity to perform this preview concert showcasing music from some of America\u2019s most iconic composers and pleased to share it with our local audience before presenting it at Carnegie Hall in New York on March 25th,\u201d says Ronald Demkee, Allentown Band Conductor and Musical Director.<\/p>\n
The Allentown Band presents \u201cCarnegie Hall Preview Concert,\u201d 3 p.m. March 15, Christ Lutheran Church, Allentown.<\/p>\n
Recognized as the oldest civilian concert band in the United States, the Allentown Band has played a continuous role in the musical life and cultural fabric of the Lehigh Valley since its first performance July 4, 1828.<\/p>\n
The band has performed for 10 U.S. presidents, conducted multiple tours in Europe and returns to Carnegie Hall. New York City, for its sixth performance March 25.<\/p>\n
The Allentown concert opens with \u201cCommando March\u201d by Samuel Barber, followed by the second movement of Morton Gould\u2019s \u201cSymphony for Band (West Point)\u201d and three movements of Leonard Bernstein\u2019s \u201cDivertimento for Band.\u201d<\/p>\n
From Aaron Copland\u2019s popular work, \u201cRodeo,\u201d the band performs \u201cHoe Down,\u201d followed by Percy Granger\u2019s \u201cIrish Tune from County Derry.\u201d<\/p>\n
To commemorate its 190th anniversary in 2018, the band commissioned composer Johan de Meij for \u201cPennsylvania Faux Songs,\u201d from which the band performs \u201cAllentown Jig.\u201d During the Carnegie Hall performance, the band performs the piece under the baton of guest conductor de Meij.<\/p>\n
The Allentown concert continues with the \u201cFinale\u201d from the second movement of Charles Ives\u2019 \u201cSymphony No. 2,\u201d followed by Morton Gould\u2019s \u201cYankee Doodle\u201d and concludes with John Philip Sousa\u2019s \u201cThe Stars and Stripes Forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Says Demkee, \u201cOur heartfelt appreciation goes out to all our Lehigh Valley friends for their support and attendance at this special concert and concerts throughout the year as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dutch composer and conductor Johan de Meij studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music, The Hague. His \u201cSymphony No. 1, The Lord of the Rings\u201d was awarded the Sudler Composition Prize in 1989.<\/p>\n
Before devoting his time to composing and conducting, de Meij was a trombone and euphonium player.<\/p>\n
He is principal guest conductor with the Sim\u00f3n Bolivar Youth Wind Orchestra, New York Wind Symphony and Kyushu Wind Orchestra, Fukuoka, Japan.<\/p>\n
Allentown Band, \u201cCarnegie Hall Preview Concert,\u201d 3 p.m. March 15, Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 Hamilton St., Allentown. Free. No ticket required. https:\/\/allentownband.com\/<\/p>\n
\u201cClassical View\u201d is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus Editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com<\/p>\n
Jesse Posa<\/p>\n
Johan de Meij<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The classical music calendar highlights the Allentown Symphony Orchestra\u2019s \u201cSpace: The Final Frontier\u201d Pops concert and the Allentown…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":137297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-137296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}