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February 15, 2007
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Young musicians in the spotlight One of the great things about the Nashua Chamber Orchestra is that it?s made up of community people who do it simply for the love of bringing orchestral music to life?not by tuning a radio dial or inserting a compact disc into the changer, but by playing through scores and actually making music. And a great side benefit of the chamber orchestra?s concerts is that they often provide an opportunity for talented area musicians to perform as soloists backed by a real honest-to-goodness orchestra. That?s a rare opportunity, especially for young musicians, who could always use more chances to strut their stuff for real. In a pair of concerts this weekend, the Nashua Chamber Orchestra plays to both of those strengths. It?s an interesting program of music, some of which is rarely heard, and it also features two young soloists playing a Bach concerto for violin and oboe. The two performances are Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. at Collings Auditorium at Daniel Webster College, and then Sunday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall. Soloists are Justin Ouellet on violin and Tim Gocklin on oboe. Ouellet, from Plaistow, is an aspiring violinist who graduated from Timberlane High School last year and has played with the New Hampshire Philharmonic, among other ensembles. Gocklin, a junior at Manchester Memorial High School, is enjoying a season featuring several solo appearances. Last November he soloed with the New Hampshire Philharmonic (as winner of the orchestra?s annual ?concerto competition?) and last month he played the first movement of the Vaughn Williams oboe concerto with the Greater Manchester Youth Symphony Orchestra, of which he is a member. The Bach work is sublime stuff from the master of counterpoint, which is the art of making two (or more) melodies that fit together. Like a lot of Bach?s music, it?s been adapted and reworked for various combinations?in the case of this work in C minor, it was originally arranged for two harpsichords. The program, led by conductor David Feltner, has a ?London Bridges? theme, which translates into an eclectic mix of works, some closer to the theme than others. Underrated British composer William Walton (who wrote stuff with audiences in mind) is represented by ?Two Pieces for Strings,? a seldom-played excerpt from the World War II-era score Walton penned for the film Henry V. Haydn?s more familiar ?London? Symphony, the last of 104 he composed, is also up for a run-through. It?s a fun work that I?ve alway felt serves as a summing up for all that Haydn learned in his long career, paving the way for the symphonies of Beethoven and later composers. Not really connected with London as far as I know, but still worth hearing, is Dvorak?s ?Serenade for Winds, Cell and Double Bass? from 1878. I?ve never heard it, but that?s another reason to attend the Nashua Chamber Orchestra?s concerts?the group often plays stuff that you won?t hear anywhere else. And there are still more reasons to attend, some of which I admit are quite personal. For anyone in the area who?s into music, the ensemble is full of local folks known for giving their all as performers year after year. Pay attention to music in southern New Hampshire, and you?re bound to run into these people again and again. Look! There?s cellist Rowena Carr, whose son Greg was best friends with my younger brother Jason when we were all in school. There?s Nancy Tong, who once tried to teach me piano and bassoon. There?s Steve Taylor, a horn player with whom I?ve played tuba in a brass quintet and joined in the pit for Actorsingers shows. These are the people who love music enough to get together and actually try making it. It?s the spirit from which the entire community?s musical life springs forth, so if you?re into music or really any kind of locally made art, the Nashua Chamber Orchestra is worth checking out. If you go: The two locations where the group performs offer vastly differently acoustical experiences. While Collings Auditorium at Daniel Webster College has more up-to-date amenities, the sound doesn?t carry very well from the stage into the hall. Far more preferable is the Milford Town Hall?s all-wood upstairs auditorium, which is acoustically quite lively and allows the sound to bloom very nicely. If you don?t mind the occasional sirens outside or loud motorcycles backfiring as they ride around the nearby Milford Oval, it?s the place to be. The Nashua Chamber Orchestra will perform on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. in Collings Auditorium at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, or Sunday, Feb. 18, at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall. Tickets cost $14, with discounts available. For more info, call 673-4100 or visit nco-music.com. |
1/25/2007 The virtue of sound
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