Orchestra going modern
By BRANDON WORF
The Hays Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Masterworks concert this afternoon at Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center, and this year's concert is a slight shift from previous performances.
While the HSO has performed works such as Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Mozart's "Requiem," the orchestra will cut to the modern era and present Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Dona Nobis Pacem."
"This is something a bit different than what people may have been used to hearing the last few years," said Terry Crull, director of choral activities at Fort Hays State University. "It's definitely a lot more modern than the past few we've done, and despite doing Stravinsky last year, this is still a contrast for us."
While the Hays Symphony Orchestra typically is conducted by Jeff Jordan from FHSU, the masterworks concert will be conducted by Crull, as the concert will bring HSO together with the Fort Hays concert choir, singers, and women's chorale, as well as the Hays Community Choir. The ensemble itself also will include numerous faculty from FHSU as performers in the orchestra.
"Some of the faculty who don't get to perform in the orchestra on a regular basis will be in it Sunday," Crull said.
The combined choirs and ensemble have been rehearsing the music since mid March, but only recently were able to get together as a whole to rehearse.
"We've been putting all the pieces together the last week or so," Crull said. "Each section of the orchestra has been working on the music individually the last month or so, and the choirs have been doing the same, so things have gotten a bit interesting as we've gotten closer."
The concert begins at 3:30 p.m. at Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center, with a pre-concert talk by Crull at 3 p.m.. Tickets are $6 for adults, and $4 for children and seniors.
