It’s been a long winter and to encourage the arrival of spring, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is sending a musical invitation.
Composed of beautiful melodies penned especially for the wind instruments, Spring Breezes comes to Penticton on March 2 at the Cleland Theatre.
The lyrical passages of Mozart are prominently featured in the evening’s program and the concert opens with the Serenade in C Minor for Wind Octet which, like spring itself, begins with a restless first movement but moves fully into sunlight by the closing notes.
The OSO showcases one its own family members, Roger Cole, on oboe performing Richard Strauss’ Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra. Strauss composed several works in the spirit of Mozart and this concerto, unfolding in one continuous movement, exemplifies the characteristics of warmth, charm and beauty while requiring considerable agility and virtuosity from the soloist.
Following is a piece by French composer Arthur Honegger, Pastoral d’Ete, a gentle scoring for solo wind instruments which suggests the beauty of a pastoral setting on a beautifully warm evening. The orchestra circles back to Mozart with a performance of the Linz, Symphony No. 36 in C for a highly energetic finale.
For additional insight into the musical selections, music director Rosemary Thomson offers a pre-concert talk one hour prior to each performance. Tickets are available from the Penticton & Wine Country Information Centre, 553 Railway St. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Cleland.
For additional information on this concert and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, please visit the website www.OkanaganSymphony.com.