Junior Symphony Orchestra guests at Young Musicians Concert

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka turns the spotlight on the Junior Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka at its Young Musicians in Concert on 1 July at 7 p.m. at the Ladies College Hall. The HSBC bank will sponsor this concert for the 22nd consecutive year, supporting the SOSL to foster and promote young talent.

Renowned conductor Dushyanthi Perera will direct the program which encompasses the Festival Polonaise Opus 12 by Johan Svendsen, Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ – Symphony No 4 in A Major Opus 90 in four movements, the Valse Triste from Kuolema by Jean Sibelius and for a touch of the contemporary, the Finale of the Star Wars Suite by John T Williams. 

 The Symphony Orchestra has long observed a tradition of spotlighting young musicians, dedicating a concert each year to this cause. This year the SOSL has chosen to highlight not just one soloist, but the entire Junior Orchestra. To this end, a portion of the program will feature the young musicians performing a selection of works for string orchestra.  The program begins with the magnificent grandeur of generous percussion, the outstanding feature in Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen’s Festival Polonaise Opus 12. The brassy pomp and pageantry of the main theme formed the ideal backdrop for the premier attended by King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden a few weeks after his coronation, while the balletic nuances at the end, does have a tinge of Tchaikovsky.   Aptly titled Italian is Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 4 in A major Opus 90 which was begun during a tour of Italy. The Symphony was composed to partly fulfil a commission by the (now Royal) Philharmonic Society of London. The ebb and flow of the composer is well infused into the transparency and fluidity of the music, with a pair of French Horns being used to set rhythm, dramatically propelling the music into major climaxes.   The JSO will then take the stage, performing the highly energetic and infectiously tuneful Jig from Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite. They will also perform a set of Romanian Dances by Bela Bartok—in an excellent arrangement for string orchestra—and follow this up with Mozart’s hugely popular Divertimento in D major. The JSO will then join the SOSL for the rest of the concert. 

Symphony orchestras around the world commemorate 70th anniversary of Jean Sibelius’ death and the SOSL and JSO play the Valse Triste or the Sad Waltz in tribute which was originally used in the play Kuolema or Death. The flute, clarinet, horns, Timpanum and strings go through an overwhelming journey of melancholy, speaking of a spectral beings, trysts, morbid gaiety and even an encounter with Death itself.

In sharp contrast to the despondency of Sibelius’ composition, the orchestras’ prowess will come together for the explosive opening credits of Star Wars, a score that has won multiple Academy, Golden Globe, Grammy and British Academy Film Awards. 

The rousing arrangement will feature the last of the first suite, the Throne Room & Finale, a luscious Hollywood vision of Brahms in the strings leading to the grand finale of the triumphant Star Wars theme.

The Principal Sponsor for the concert is HSBC. Tickets are priced at Rs. 2,500, Rs. 2,000, Rs. 1,500, Rs. 1,250 (Reserved) and Balcony Rs. 500 (Unreserved) and can be purchased online at www.tickets.lk or in person at Sarasavi Bookshop (Nugegoda and Maharagama), Tickets.lk office (Jawatte Gardens Colombo 5), Yamaha Music Center and Abans Main Showroom.