January 22, 2009
Maryland Symphony Orchestra to Feature Works of British Composers During "British Serenade" Masterworks Concerts

Hagerstown, MD—The Maryland Symphony Orchestra continues its Masterworks series in February with “British Serenade” featuring the music of three of Great Britain’s most revered composers.  The concerts will be held on Saturday, February 14 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the historic Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown. 

“One of music’s most magical aspects is its ability to transport us to another place and time,” says MSO’s Music Director Elizabeth Schulze. “Our next program takes you on such a journey.  The works of Edward Elgar, Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams give a portrait of a people and place that is both elegant and evocative.”

Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture is one of his most popular compositions and gives a lively and colorful musical portrait of Edwardian London. Britten is considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 20th Century and his Serenade for Tenor, Hornand Strings, Opus 31has become a central part of the repertoire of tenors and horn players.  The song cycle is a setting of a selection of six poems by British poets on the subject of night, including its more sinister aspects.  In Williams’ Symphony No. 2“London,” he depicts various London scenes, including the Westminster chimes, the street cries of flower sellers as well as some of the grimier aspects of city life. 

Guest artists for “British Serenade” are MSO principal horn Joseph Lovinsky and tenor Scott Williamson.  Lovinsky also serves as principal for the United States Army Band and Orchestra, the Army Brass Quintet and the Washington Ballet.  He studied at the Peabody Institute and Curtis Institute of Music and is a member of the faculty at Howard University in Washington, DC.

 Williamson was the 2005 winner of the International Opera Singers Competition and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2007.  He has performed with opera companies and symphony orchestras all over the world and was instrumental in forming Shepherd University’s Opera & Music Theater program. He holds degrees from James Madison University, Westminster Choir College and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland.   He is currently music director of the Virginia Chorale in Norfolk, VA. 

Tickets, starting at $22, may be purchased online at www.marylandsymphony.org or by calling 301-797-4000.  Student rush tickets (no reservations accepted) are also available at the box office 90 minutes before each performance for $5.00. 

“British Serenade” is sponsored, in part, by Dr. & Mrs. Hugh J. Talton. 

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is also supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.  An agency of the Department of Business and Economic Development, the MSAC provides financial support and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, units of government, colleges and universities for arts activities.