The next Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra concert is Saturday, Apr. 14, 8 p.m., at Richardson Auditorium, Ridgefield High School. The program has seven selections from many of England’s greatest composers: Crown Imperial March (Walton), Fantasia on Greensleeves (Vaughan Williams), On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring (Delius), The Walk to the Paradise Garden (Delius), Dances from Gloriana (Britten), Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D Major (Elgar), and Enigma Variations (Elgar).
The concert includes work of two resident artists of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Justin Perlman and Adelka Polak. Perlman is providing sculptures, and Polak is collaborating with members of the Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, all Ridgefield High School students, performing the Britten selection—a collection of seven dances in varying speeds and meters. Conservatory Director James Robey said, “Working with Adelka and Justin on this collaboration has been such an exceptional experience for the dancers and me. With Adelka’s instincts as a performance artist and Justin’s eye for design, we are using different materials to sculpt the space, creating a kaleidoscope of images, to accompany the selections from Gloriana performed by the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra.”
The flashy, majestic Walton march is a showcase for brass and was the climactic recessional choice at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The prominent feature in the Fantasia is the familiar Greensleeves folk song and hymn, played by strings over harp chords. The Elgar March is based on two themes. The first is an exciting melody for strings. The second is the famous tune known to everyone, often played at graduation ceremonies. It will be conducted by Susan Dumont Bengston, this year’s “Golden Baton” winner.
The Enigma Variations is Sir Edward Elgar’s masterpiece: a simple theme followed by fourteen variations, each for people he knew. The first is a romantic and passionate version for his wife; the last is triumphant throughout and represents the composer; the most memorable is the ninth, “Nimrod,” an uplifting melody with beautiful orchestration.
The concert also displays the talents of Principal Clarinetist Ed Wojtowicz and Principal Oboist Dorothy Darlington, especially in the Delius pieces. The instruments have solos in the first selection and a lengthy dialogue in second; the clarinet is also prominent in Variations 3 and 13 of the finale. Both players have performed major concertos with the Orchestra and have appeared with well-known orchestras such as the New Haven Symphony and New York Philharmonic, respectively.
The concert is sponsored by Myra and Harold Spratt and by the Anne S. Richardson Fund. Tickets and more information are available from www.ridgefieldsymphony.org (preferred) or the orchestra office at 438-3889.
