MUSIC LOVERS WILL BE IN CLOVER AT CAL PHIL´S "THISTLE AND SHAMROCK" ON MARCH 15
Jenine Baines
February 25, 2008
Whether they´re hoping to get a head start on celebrating St. Patrick´s Day or simply don´t want to miss an opportunity to experience the enchantment, gaiety, and haunting beauty of Celtic culture and heritage, music lovers throughout Southern California may very well feel they´ve been blessed with the "luck of the Irish" when they attend the California Philharmonic´s concert, "Thistle and Shamrock," on March 15 at 8 p.m. at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena.
As its name implies, "Thistle and Shamrock" will present works – from motion picture soundtracks to staples of the classical music repertoire – especially selected to transport the audience from Pasadena to the highlands of Scotland and the shores of the "Emerald Isle." Along for this musical journey, too, are Irish dancers and the Cabar Feidh bagpipe band, an award-winning ensemble dedicated to promoting public knowledge and awareness of Celtic music.
In fact, Vener stresses, the bagpipe and drum band will appear with the orchestra – not in addition to it – in a performance of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace.
"It´ll be a sound you´ll never forget," the conductor promises. "Members of Cabar Feidh have appeared at private engagements for the Duke of Edinburgh and President Reagan. We´re delighted they´ve agreed to share their artistry and add to the fun at our musical celebration at Cal Phil."
Also on the program that evening are Leroy Anderson´s Irish Suite – featuring such instantly recognizable tunes as the "Irish Washerwoman" and the "Wearing of the Green" – excerpts from the international production of Riverdance and James Horner´s Academy Award/Golden Globe nominated score for the film Braveheart, Mendelssohn´s Hebrides Overture, and Malcolm Arnold´s Four Scottish Dances.
"All we´re missing at "Thistle and Shamrock" is green beer," says Vener. "But it´ll be an intoxicating, exhilarating evening even without it."
Tickets for "Thistle and Shamrock", which range from $30 to $95/person, are available by calling 626.300.8200 or online, at www.calphil.org. The box office is located at 1120 Huntington Drive in San Marino and is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Ambassador Auditorium is located at 131 South St. John Avenue in Pasadena.
In 1995, Music Director and Conductor Victor Vener and a small group of enthusiastic, dedicated music lovers based in Pasadena, California founded the The CalPhil Foundation. The Foundation, a nonprofit community benefit organization, supports the California Philharmonic in its quest to expand awareness of classical music, thus increasing the interest and support for great timeless music with wide audience appeal, from the classical and operatic repertoire to diverse genres of jazz, pops, Hollywood and Broadway. Also, with a strong commitment to new music and to expanding the symphonic repertoire, the California Philharmonic has presented numerous world premieres of both orchestral and chamber works.
The California Philharmonic began in 1997 with a five-concert inaugural summer season of Cal Phil Festival on the Green on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia. Now, Cal Phil presents twenty four concerts per year in five different, but equally impressive, venues throughout Los Angeles County. These series include Cal Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall (downtown Los Angeles), Cal Phil at the Ambassador (Pasadena), Cal Phil Music, Martinis and the Maestro (Castle Green Hotel in Pasadena) and Cal Phil at The Mill (The Old Mill in San Marino). For more information, visit www.calphil.org or call 626.300.8200.
As its name implies, "Thistle and Shamrock" will present works – from motion picture soundtracks to staples of the classical music repertoire – especially selected to transport the audience from Pasadena to the highlands of Scotland and the shores of the "Emerald Isle." Along for this musical journey, too, are Irish dancers and the Cabar Feidh bagpipe band, an award-winning ensemble dedicated to promoting public knowledge and awareness of Celtic music.
In fact, Vener stresses, the bagpipe and drum band will appear with the orchestra – not in addition to it – in a performance of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace.
"It´ll be a sound you´ll never forget," the conductor promises. "Members of Cabar Feidh have appeared at private engagements for the Duke of Edinburgh and President Reagan. We´re delighted they´ve agreed to share their artistry and add to the fun at our musical celebration at Cal Phil."
Also on the program that evening are Leroy Anderson´s Irish Suite – featuring such instantly recognizable tunes as the "Irish Washerwoman" and the "Wearing of the Green" – excerpts from the international production of Riverdance and James Horner´s Academy Award/Golden Globe nominated score for the film Braveheart, Mendelssohn´s Hebrides Overture, and Malcolm Arnold´s Four Scottish Dances.
"All we´re missing at "Thistle and Shamrock" is green beer," says Vener. "But it´ll be an intoxicating, exhilarating evening even without it."
Tickets for "Thistle and Shamrock", which range from $30 to $95/person, are available by calling 626.300.8200 or online, at www.calphil.org. The box office is located at 1120 Huntington Drive in San Marino and is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Ambassador Auditorium is located at 131 South St. John Avenue in Pasadena.
In 1995, Music Director and Conductor Victor Vener and a small group of enthusiastic, dedicated music lovers based in Pasadena, California founded the The CalPhil Foundation. The Foundation, a nonprofit community benefit organization, supports the California Philharmonic in its quest to expand awareness of classical music, thus increasing the interest and support for great timeless music with wide audience appeal, from the classical and operatic repertoire to diverse genres of jazz, pops, Hollywood and Broadway. Also, with a strong commitment to new music and to expanding the symphonic repertoire, the California Philharmonic has presented numerous world premieres of both orchestral and chamber works.
The California Philharmonic began in 1997 with a five-concert inaugural summer season of Cal Phil Festival on the Green on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia. Now, Cal Phil presents twenty four concerts per year in five different, but equally impressive, venues throughout Los Angeles County. These series include Cal Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall (downtown Los Angeles), Cal Phil at the Ambassador (Pasadena), Cal Phil Music, Martinis and the Maestro (Castle Green Hotel in Pasadena) and Cal Phil at The Mill (The Old Mill in San Marino). For more information, visit www.calphil.org or call 626.300.8200.
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