Founded in 2005, the Springfield-Drury Civic Orchestra is a regional community orchestra comprising more than 100 professionals, students, and enthusiasts. The orchestra's next concert is Sunday November 2nd at 6:00pm in Drury University's Clara Thompson Hall. Music Director Christopher Koch will conduct Ralph Vaughan Williams' song cycle "On Wenlock Edge" with tenor Stephen Bomgardner, and Mozart's Symphony No. 39. Tickets will be available only at the door beginning one hour before the concert (5:00 PM in Clara Thompson lobby). General admissions, cash or check only.
According to tenor soloist Stephen Bomgardner, "'On Wenlock Edge' was originally written in 1909 for tenor, string quartet and piano. Vaughan Williams had gone to Paris the previous year to study with Ravel, then wrote this piece. He chose six poems from A. E. Housman's 'A Shrophshire Lad.' And then in 1918 he began orchestrating them." Bomgardner and the SDCO will perform the orchestral version of the cycle.
Mozart's 39th Symphony, says Bomgardner, "is part of his last three symphonies--39, 40 and 41--and it's unusual because it doesn't use oboes, it uses clarinets. It's not performed that often, but it's a great work."
For more information visit http://sdco.drury.edu.