It’s time to get to know your local symphony, North Bay.
The North Bay Symphony Orchestra (NBSO) is hosting a “Meet the Orchestra” concert this Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Capitol Centre at 150 Main Street, North Bay.
It’s a family-friendly event, designed to help introduce children to the world of symphonic music. Before the show, an “Instrument Petting Zoo” will be set up, which allows kids (and adults too) to engage with the instruments that make up the symphony.
Josh Wood, the Music Director and Conductor for the NBSO, said “We wanted to open things up a bit and invite people in to understand the instruments we play, the different sections of the orchestra, and the different types of music that we play to give people an inside glimpse into the orchestra.”
Long and McQuade, one of the NBSO’s main sponsors, is supplying the instruments for the petting zoo before the show. Along with a few Long and McQuade staff, many members of the orchestra will also be on hand to answer questions, demonstrate the instruments, and help people have a go with them.
The goal is to introduce kids to these instruments as sometimes they can be difficult to access. Not many homes have a French horn or clarinet lying about for curious kids to discover. Providing access to symphonic instruments will ideally create a spark within the child, Woods noted.
Woods added, “If I was a kid, I would really enjoy the chance to pick up a trumpet or violin and give it a go. Playing an instrument is one of the best things a child can do in terms of their intellectual and social development.”
“You never know when that spark is going to fly,” Woods continued, “and we’re hoping there are a lot of sparks there at the concert.”
After folks have had time to check out the instruments, the concert begins at 6:30 p.m. Woods explained the show is divided into two parts. The first half is designed to highlight different sections of the orchestra. For instance, the musicians will play a piece for brass and percussion, followed by a string number.
The idea is to show how each section layers together to create various pieces. Educational and entertaining for all ages.
Woods added, “The second half is more the history of the music, so you’ll hear music from different eras, the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods.” Expect to hear excerpts from the famous overtures to William Tell and The Marriage of Figaro, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Florence Price’s Adoration, Mancini’s The Pink Panther, and much more.
Woods continued, “We have a little bit of everything, a lot of variety, and we’re hoping it will be really entertaining and enriching for the kids, and we think our subscribers and regular patrons will find it very interesting as well.”
Tickets are available at the Capitol Centre Box Office through its website or by calling 705-474-4747. Adult tickets are $45, and student tickets are $18. Kids under 12 are free with a corresponding adult or student ticket purchase.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.