NEW PALTZ — On Sunday, December 10 at 3:00 PM, the College-Youth Symphony of the Hudson Valley presents a concert featuring a varied program of orchestral and chamber works. The concert is held in the Julien J. Studley Theatre on the SUNY New Paltz campus. Tickets to the concert may be purchased at the entrance to Studley Theatre beginning at 2:00 PM on December 10.
Under the direction of Dr. Carole Cowan, the College-Youth Symphony comprises 75 talented young musicians from the Hudson Valley region. These student-musicians perform orchestral works as well as chamber pieces, endowing the concerts with an interesting mix of musical styles.
The College-Youth Symphony has prepared a number of orchestral works for the December concert. These include Gustav Holst’s famous suite “The Planets,” an orchestral work based on the astronomical and philosophical writings of the ancient Greek philosophers. Holst’s work is a symphonic embodiment of the “music of the spheres,” the poetic theory of ancient astronomers that the heavenly bodies, as they spin and dance through the night sky, produce a melody too beautiful and distant for human ears. Each movement of the suite reveals the ephemeral qualities and distinguishing characteristics of its subject: “Mercury: The Winged Messenger,” “Venus: The Bringer of Peace,” “Mars: The Bringer of War,” “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity,” “Saturn: The Bringer of Old Age,” “Uranus: The Magician,” and “Neptune: The Mystic.” A selection of these movements will be performed.
With the holidays fast approaching, Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival” brings seasonal flare to the program. This medley of holiday music was first performed June of 1950 as an extra at the Boston Pops, with Arthur Fiedler conducting. Also included in the program is Beethoven’s “Symphony #1 in C Major.”
Tickets to the College-Youth Symphony concert are $5 general admission, $4 senior citizens, and $3 students. For more information regarding this event, or for directions to SUNY New Paltz and the Julien J. Studley Theatre, please call 845-257-3872.
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