The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings, conducted by Dr. Betsey Hofeldt, will present their annual Fall Concert on Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 3:00 pm at the Kettering Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Dayton, Ohio. This season the Youth Strings comprises 59 students in grades 6 through 12 chosen by audition from 27 schools plus homeschools throughout the Miami Valley.
For Dr. Betsey Hofeldt, it marks her eighth season conducting the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings. “I have witnessed a continual rise in the level of playing in the years I’ve been conducting Youth Strings,” said Hofeldt. “It is exciting to be able to program more challenging repertoire because of the caliber of private teaching in the Miami Valley. These student musicians are lucky to have such rich cultural experiences growing up in Dayton, with its robust arts environment.”
This year’s Youth Strings Fall Concert opens with Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto Grosso in D Minor. Vivaldi perfected the Concerto Grosso form, replete with antiphonal effects, by contrasting a small solo ensemble with the full orchestra. Being a violinist and teacher himself, he knew how to create dazzling effects with dynamics, timbre, and technical displays.
Michael Haydn’s Sinfonia in G, will transport the listener into the late 18th century with his bouncing spiccato bow strokes and clearly defined melody. The program continues with Sir Hubert Parry’s English Suite, which creates visions of bustling village life, bucolic pastoral scenes, Scottish fiddling and even an Irish air.
Ending the Fall Concert will be Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, which might be his best known and most played piece. It is so beloved that lyrics were added shortly after its composition so that singers could capitalize on this catchy tune. In the book, “Leroy Anderson: A Bio-Bibliography”, Steve Metcalf said that “Sleigh Ride . . . has been performed and recorded by a wider array of musical artists than any other piece in the history of Western music.”
The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings are selected by audition, and this year’s musicians attend the following area schools or are home-schooled: Archbishop Alter High School, Baker Middle School, Beavercreek High School, Carroll High School, Centerville High School, Chaminade-Julienne High School, DeColores Montessori School (Greenville), Fairmont High School, Greenville High School, Hadley Watts Middle School, Immaculate Conception School, Incarnation School, Jacob Coy Middle School, Kettering Middle School, Magsig Middle School, Miami Valley School, Middletown Christian School, Northmont High School, Oakwood Junior High and High School, Sidney Middle School, Springboro High School, St. Luke School, Tippecanoe Middle School, Tower Heights Middle School, Van Buren Middle School, and Stivers School for the Arts.
The Concert is free and open to the public. A reception will immediately follow the concert at the Kettering Seventh-Day Adventist Church.