Eu g e n e Sy m p h o ny o f fe r s s p e c i a l ‘ Fl o re n ce - O n l y ’ co n ce r t
SEAcoast Entertainment Association’s sensational season
of seven high-caliber performances wraps up on Friday, May
15, at 7 p.m., when the Eugene Symphony returns to present a
special Florence-only “Orchestra Showcase.”
This unique, one-time concert will include the music of
Barber, Haydn, and Beethoven; and feature the Symphony’s
principal cellist Anne Ridlington. The Symphony will host a free
pre-concert talk at 6:15 p.m. to meet their audience and give
insights on the evening’s music. In addition, the Siuslaw High
School band will perform in the lobby at 6:45 p.m.
According to Lindsey McCarthy, spokesperson for the
Eugene Symphony Association, attendees will hear the Eugene
Symphony at its very best, from the poignant emotions of the
strings in Barber’s
Adagio for Strings,
to
the
cello-rich
melodies of Haydn’s
Cello Concerto in D
Major, to Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 6,
“Pastorale”
that
pays tribute to the
natural world and our
existence within it.
Barber’s Adagio
for Strings is one of
the most solemn and
evocative pieces of
American music. It begins with a
single, sustained note, eventually
joined by the elongated melodies
and extended suspensions that
create a great unresolved harmonic
tension.
Ridlington will play Haydn’s
gracefully athletic Concerto in her
fi rst solo spotlight. The piece begins
with a long sonata form movement
that develops two relaxed and
lyrical melodies, and which allows
for a long solo cadenza. The middle
movement features a songlike
melody from the cello, alternating
with contrasting material.
The
concerto ends with high-spirited
and fl ashy rondo.
The
fi rst
movement
of
Beethoven’s “Pastorale” begins with Awakening of Cheerful
Feelings Upon Arriving in the Country. The following Scene
by the Brook unfolds with aptly fl owing grace. At the very
end, Beethoven has woodwinds imitate birds with a fl ute as a
nightingale, and oboe as a quail, and a clarinet as a cuckoo.
Individual tickets are $30 per adult and $10 for those under
18. Tickets are available online at SEAcoastEA.org or at the
Florence Events Center box offi ce, 715 Quince Street; or by
phone at 541-997-1994. Artist profi les, video clips, and more
information are available at www.SeacoastEA.org.
SEAcoast is planning another outstanding season
beginning in October with Latin/pop/jazz/classical artists,
QUATTROSOUND. Also included in the 2015-2016 line-up are
singer Ken Lavigne, guitarist Jesse Cook, Ballet Fantastique, the
Glenn Miller Orchestra, SHUFFLE (a group so multitalented
they let the audience pick the playlist), and gypsy-jazz artists
The New Hot Club of America.
Season tickets, which offer a value of seven concerts for the
price of fi ve, go on sale later this spring.
R h o d ys t o b l o o m at a n n u a l f l owe r s h ow M ay 1 6 a n d 1 7
‘ Why D o n’t Yo u D o
R i g ht ? ’ a n d co m e
Ce l e b rate c l a s s i c
fe m a l e vo c a l i s t s w i t h
Jazz Kings
The Jazz Kings close their 19th season
with a focus on those great female vocalists
who shared the stage with jazz ensembles who
never made it to the stardom or mega-stardom
enjoyed by Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald or Billie
Holiday. But in fact, these phenomenal vocalists
were stars in their own wonderful ways, as this
sparkling evening will evidence!
The show, set for Saturday, May 9,
beginning at 1:30 p.m., will include a few nods
to Ella, Billie, and Peggy of course, before
turning to exquisite sides by Anita O’Day,
Julie London, Helen Ward, Marion Hutton, and
Helen Forrest. Listen for “Cry Me A River,”
“Hold Tight,” “The Peanut Vendor,” “Goody,
Goody,” “Is That All There Is,” “I Only Have
Eyes For You” and “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
Jazz Kings crooner Shirley Andress will
lead this vocal trip to the past.
Page 4
The American Rhododendron
Society’s Siuslaw Chapter will
host its annual Rhododendron
Flower Show May 16 and 17.
The fl ower show, which is a
judged event, aims to educate
and introduce the public to as
many varieties of rhododendrons
as possible. The show is free and
open to the public as soon as
judging is completed.
The fl ower show is a great
place to fi nd what fl owers
would look great in your garden
and view varieties of both
rhododendrons and azaleas from
around the world. The Siuslaw
Chapter also has an outdoor plant
sale both days. Many selections
of rhododendrons and azaleas are
available for a reasonable price.
Doors are open Saturday,
May 16, from 1 p.m. to 5
p.m., and Sunday, May
17, from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
The Florence Events Center website: www.eventcenter.org