Valley music aficionados will have a rare opportunity Sunday, Nov. 22, as the Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Chorus (SVCC) perform together for just the second time.
The concert is 4 p.m. in Eastern Mennonite University’s Lehman Auditorium. A $7 donation is requested to benefit scholarship students in the Preparatory Music Program.
SVCC’s Treble and Concert choirs, directed by Janet Hostetter, will present a sampling of choral works from their December 2015 “Angel’s Sing” concert. The Treble choir is comprised of students ages 9-14 with basic and intermediate knowledge. The Concert Choir is a more advanced performing choir for ages 10-18.
Repertoire choices include both traditional and non-traditional Christmas carols and a Hebrew tune. Maurita Eberly and Tracey Reed will provide piano accompaniment for both choirs.
The 45-member Youth Symphony, conducted by interim director Rhonda Stees, will perform the following works: “Royal Fireworks Overture” by Handel, the Allegretto from “Symphony No. 7” by Beethoven, March to the Scaffold from “Symphony Fantastique” by Berlioz and “Superman Returns” by John Williams.
The symphony is an auditioned ensemble of high school musicians from Page, Shenandoah, Rockingham and Augusta counties, one of whom will be the featured soloist in this concert.
Violinist Madeline Williamson will perform the “Violin Concerto in G Major” by Haydn. Madeline, daughter of Dusty and Laura Williamson of Harrisonburg, Va., has studied violin with youth symphony conductor Maria Lorcas (currently on leave) and now studies with EMU professor Joan Griffing. A senior home-schooled student, she takes concurrent courses at Blue Ridge Community College.
Madeline has been a member of the Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony for four years and head chorister of the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir for two years. In addition, Madeline plays violin with the EMU Orchestra.
She holds two state titles through the “Share the Fun” competition held at the Virginia 4-H Congress at Virginia Tech. She is co-president of the Plains 4-H Club and a member of the Rockingham County 4-H Young Leaders Association. Next year, Madeline plans to pursue a major in instrumental performance.
The concert will end with the Youth Symphony and SVCC choirs performing two pieces together, an arrangement of the Shaker hymn “How Can I Keep from Singing?” and Anderson’s holiday favorite, “Sleigh Ride.”
SVCC’s annual Christmas concert will also be at Lehman Auditorium Dec. 6 at 4 p.m.