PRESQUE ISLE — The Northern Maine Chamber Society Orchestra (NMCSO) invites the public to celebrate 30 years of community cultural enrichment at its fall 2014 concert this Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. The event will be held in the multi-purpose room of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Campus Center. The program includes works from such composers as Gershwin, Beethoven, Bach, and more.
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The Northern Maine Chamber Society Orchestra will present its fall concert Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Campus Center. Conducted by Kevin Kinsey, of Fort Fairfield, the program includes works from such composers as Gershwin, Beethoven, Bach, and more. This year marks the orchestra’s 30th anniversary.
NMCSO is a community orchestra comprised of approximately 40 accomplished string, brass, and wind players from all over Aroostook County and New Brunswick, and is conducted by Kevin Kinsey of Fort Fairfield. Several of the group’s founding members remain key players in the orchestra today. Among them is Susann Herold, concert mistress and president of NMCSO’s board of directors.
“The story began 30 years ago when Sylvia Andrea, an organist, requested an ensemble to accompany her for a recital in the Caribou Methodist Church. Afterward, our oboist, Peter Schaffer, asked if any of us knew Bach’s ‘Brandenburg Concerto.’ When we replied that we did, he invited us to his house for ‘wine, pizza and music.’ The rest is history,” said Herold.
The group has performed under several conductors since its inception, perhaps most notably Harrison Roper, of Houlton, who led the group for nearly 20 years and still plays brass and strings in the group today. Waldo Caballero, violist in the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, served as conductor until Kinsey joined the group in 2012.
“The group has seen a lot of change throughout the last three decades. Players have joined us from Canada and all over the state of Maine,” said Herold. “We are very happy to have Kevin as our conductor now. Since joining on as our conductor, he has really managed to strike the balance between a fun and challenging atmosphere.”
Kinsey affirmed those sentiments, commenting, “This concert is going to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. We have both traditional and modern selections. People think classical music has to be ‘stodgy’ and it’s just not. It’s going to be a very fun concert. I think we have managed to choose a program that’s not only enjoyable for the players, but also appealing and enjoyable for an audience to listen to.”
Kinsey grew up in Martin, Mich. He graduated from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. He and his wife (Easton band director and NMCSO flautist Pamela Kinsey) moved to Maine in 1987, where he would work as a band director in the Maine school system for 25 years; he spent his first 12 in Fort Fairfield, then worked for another 13 as director of the Presque Isle beginner band, as well as the UMPI band. He retired from education in 2012 and became ordained as a priest, and now serves in three local Episcopal churches. He began conducting for NMCSO in the fall of 2012.
Herold and Kinsey work together to ensure that NMCSO can take pride in making its program selections accessible and enjoyable to everyone. Most members of the audience will hear at least one song they recognize, and probably at least one song that is new to them. Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” — and its merging of classical music with jazz-influenced elements — makes for a lively, all-American crowd-pleaser. It also serves as a fitting convergence between the diverse musical backgrounds of NMCSO members. Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” was composed simultaneously with his more famous “Fifth Symphony,” but is a more expressive and imaginative composition that might be a new experience for some listeners.
Kinsey also encourages those interested in joining the group to attend.
“We famously hear, ‘I haven’t picked up my instrument in 20 years!’ and that is exactly the kind of person we want to join the ensemble,” he said. “If you’ve got access to an instrument you haven’t played in awhile, consider joining us! Come give it a try, you’ll probably find out it’s an enjoyable experience and a lot of fun.”
Admission to the concert is free, though donations are accepted. For more information, visit NMCSO’s website at www.nmcso.org or visit the orchestra’s Facebook page.
