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Concert by Missouri Philharmonic warns 'Be Careful What You Wish For'

Courtesy Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra

It's a Halloween-themed evening by the local civic orchestra — both a ticketed concert and a sensory-friendly free show.

The Missouri Philharmonic is a local civic orchestra made up of professional, amateur and student musicians. Music Director Amy Andreassen joined us on KSMU Arts News to talk about their fall concert next week.

"Be Careful What You Wish For" features music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Hector Berlioz, and takes place Thursday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the orchestra's regular venue, Barley House at Moontown Crossing, 3060 North Kentwood Avenue, near the Glenstone/I-44 interchange in north Springfield.

The concert will include Leopold Stokowski's famous orchestral arrangement of the Bach "Toccata & Fugue in D minor;" Rachmaninoff's eerie tone poem "Isle of the Dead," inspired by the equally eerie painting of the same name by Swiss Symbolist artist Arnold Böcklin.

Also on the program is the work that inspired this concert's nickname: the "March to the Scaffold" movement from the "Symphonie fantastique" by Hector Berlioz. In it, the French composer musically depicts a musician — himself — taking opium and falling into a nightmarish dream about him and the woman he loves, who he feels has rejected him. Berlioz at the time was trying to court hard-to-get Irish actress Harriet Smithson. Eventually he married her... and ended up wishing he hadn't. Thus, "Be Careful What You Wish For!"

And just for fun, the evening will also include an orchestral version of the early 1960s novelty song "Monster Mash."

Tickets for the October 26 concert are $10 for adults, $5 for students, children free. Tickets will be available at the door.

Sensory-friendly performance offered free

In addition to the ticketed performance, Andreassen said the orchestra will once again offer a special free concert the night before, Wednesday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Barley House. This will be a special "sensory-friendly" performance for those who are challenged with difficulty sitting still and quietly during a regular concert. The last time the Missouri Philharmonic offered such a performance, there were 45 attendees — including couples with babies and toddlers, Andreassen added. They are also welcome to attend the October 25 performance. It's free, no ticket required.

For information, call Amy Andreassen at 417-849-5930 or visit the Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra Facebook page. Their website is missouriphilharmonic.org.

Randy Stewart joined the full-time KSMU staff in June 1978 after working part-time as a student announcer/producer for two years. His job evolved from Music Director in the early days to encompassing production of a wide range of arts-related programming and features for KSMU, including the online and Friday morning Arts News. Stewart assisted volunteer producers John Darkhorse (Route 66 Blues Express), Lee Worman (The Gold Ring), and Emily Higgins (The Mulberry Tree) with the production of their programs. He was the de facto "Voice of KSMU" due to the many hours per day he was heard doing local station breaks. Stewart’s record of service on behalf of the Springfield arts community earned him the Springfield Regional Arts Council's Ozzie Award in 2006.<br/><br/>Stewart passed away on July 1, 2024.