Youth Strings Present First Concert of the Season
November 5th, 2007
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Barbara Byrd, Marketing Manager
Call: 419-522-2726, ext. 202
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MANSFIELD, OHIO. The Renaissance Performing Arts Association announces that The Mansfield Symphony Youth Strings will perform their Fall Concert, "A Salute to Our Armed Forces", on Sunday, November 11th at 4:00pm in the Renaissance Theatre. Tickets are on sale at the Renaissance Box Office and from any Youth Strings member. Tickets are $3 for adults ($4 at the door) and $1 for students.
To celebrate Veteran's Day, the Youth Strings, under the direction of Percy Hall, will perform several patriotic numbers including "The Star Spangled Banner," "Armed Service Salute," and "The Pledge of Allegiance," sung by guest vocalist Colleen Korte, a member of the violin section. The Youth Strings are honored to be joined by members of the Korean War Veterans dressed in uniform and carrying flags of each branch of our armed forces.
The orchestra will also perform "Variations on America, September 2001," a piece written by Conductor Percy Hall. The four variations titled Complacency, Destruction, Grieving, and Resolve tell the story leading up to and following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in our country. This is the third performance of this work by the Youth Strings and each time it has been received with acclaim. The piece is published and has been performed by school orchestras all over the United States. Mr. Hall has also arranged many of the pieces being performed at the concert expressly for the Youth Strings.
A Youth Strings cello trio, with cellists Michael Pinkham, Alexandria Haag, and Clark Hart, will perform "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America". Kate Hogsette, Allen Liew, Jasmine Yang, and Chelsea Zhu make up a violin quartet that will play two George M. Cohan favorites, "The Yankee Doodle Boy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". The orchestra will also perform classical selections by well-known European composers Handel, Verdi and Schumann.
The 52 members of the Mansfield Symphony Youth Strings come from twenty different area schools. Most are in grades fifth through ninth. The orchestra has been rehearsing each Thursday evening since early September for this concert. They will resume rehearsals in January to prepare for the Spring Concert on Sunday, April 6th, 2008.
The Mansfield Symphony Youth Strings concert is made possible from the support of the Ohio Arts Council.