Celebration

Date/Time
Date(s) - Oct 23, 2022
2:00 pm

Location
Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek

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Themes of struggle, freedom, and triumphs permeate this program. We welcome the San Ramon Valley Chorale to the stage and present Mahler’s titanic First Symphony, which runs the full gamut of emotions, from the awakening of Nature to a glorious finale.

“Freedom is a noble thing!”  These words, declared by the chorus in the finale, combine with a pervasive rhythmic pattern rooted in the word “freedom” itself to encapsulate the concept of freedom proclaimed throughout Copland’s 1955 work.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”) begins mysteriously but ends in celebration. Along the way, listeners experience a spirited “Ländler” dance movement that reflects the composer’s love of traditional folk music, a funeral procession that quotes the song Frère Jacques, and a finale whose storm dissolves in light as the horns stand for a jubilant conclusion.

Featuring: San Ramon Valley Chorale, Bruce Koliha, Director
Special Guest: Randall Benway, piano

Aaron Copland – Canticle of Freedom
W. A. Mozart – Clarinet Concerto, Adagio
Nicholas Weathers, 2021-22 Yen Liang Young Artist Competition Winner
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 1