PRESQUE ISLE — The Northern Maine Chamber Society Orchestra (NMCSO) will kick off the holiday season with a performance on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
The concert will be held at 6 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Campus Center. Admission is free, although donations will be accepted.
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 Reverend Kevin Kinsey of Fort Fairfield.
Kinsey said individuals who may be on the fence about attending an orchestral performance can be assured that the program contains pieces aimed at appealing to all musical tastes. “If someone is new or unfamiliar to classical music, this concert will be the perfect time to gain some exposure,” he said.
“We’ve selected music that will appeal to a wide audience, in hopes of encouraging as many community members as possible to come explore the world of classical music with us. Our goal has always been that each audience member hears something familiar to him or her, as well as something completely new,” said Kinsey.
The program will begin with “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius, a murky and turbulent interpretation of the struggle of the Finnish people at the turn of the 20th century. The piece then transforms into the peaceful, serene theme known commonly today as “Be Still, My Soul.” The audience will then hear some familiar sounds in a chorale by Johann Sebastian Bach, and the performance will conclude with “L’Arlesienne, Suite no. 2” from the famed opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet.
Additionally, during the program, audience members will be treated to a saxophone ensemble composed of orchestra member Sean Diette and special guests Sarah Diette, Patrick Bragdon, Jenna Simonoff and Jon Simonoff. They will be performing a jig from St. Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst.
For more information, visit NMCSO’s website at http://www.nmcso.org/ or visit the orchestra’s Facebook page.
