Claflin Hill concert closes Small Stones festival
Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra and Apple Tree Arts present Igor Stravinsky’s “L’Histoire du Soldat – A Soldier’s Tale” Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., the finale of the Small Stones Festival of the Arts at the Great Hall, One Grafton Common. Admission is $18.
Tickets may be purchased at www.claflinhill.org or by calling Apple Tree Arts at 508-839-4286. Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available to purchase.
The evening begins with CHSO’s Lidija Peno-Kelly performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata for Solo Violin in D major Opus 115, an unaccompanied violin three-piece movement. Percussionist and guest artist Richard Kelly performs Variations for Four Drums and Violin by Michael Colgrass with Peno-Kelly.
The concert features an original theatre arts performance accompanied by a seven-chamber member ensemble in a retelling of the Faust story composed by Stravinsky,” said Paul Surapine, executive and artistic director of Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra. Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz worked with Stravinsky on the piece which is based on a Russian folk tale. Mr. Surapine is conducting the music while Donna Blanchard, executive director of Apple Tree Arts is directing the dramatic part of the program.
“A Soldier’s Tale” tells the story of soldier on leave from the army who meets an old man with whom he trades his old beloved violin for a magic book that can predict the future and provide him with great wealth. He discovers too late that he has given away his soul and happiness to the devil.
Apple Tree Arts’ faculty and friends working on the theatrical work include Noelle Scarlett as the narrator, voice teacher Stephanie Sarkisian portrays the old man devil, Connor Evans is the soldier
and Kayla Cardin, piano, voice and early childhood educator acts and dances as the princess. Several students portray villagers in the ensemble.
“We’re excited to collaborate with Claflin Hill on this program that showcases our talents as well as the CHSO’s outstanding musicians,” said Blanchard. “The winning artwork and photography from the Small Stones Festival of the Arts will be displayed during the concert, too,” she added.
“The music for this great Stravinsky piece is often played alone,” said Surapine. “The composition is a rhythmic violin tour de force with the instrumentation including violin and double bass violin representing the devil with wind chamber musicians playing clarinet, bassoon, trumpet and trombone and percussion.”
Two additional concerts are planned for the chamber music series. The January 25 concert features Apple Tree Arts faculty, who are also members of the CHSO performing Baroque, classical, modern and Broadway music. The April 4 final concert is “The End of the Beginning” with Surapine on clarinet joining the CHSO principal string players performing works by Copland and Prokofiev.
The chamber music concert series is made possible with grants and sponsorships from Homefield Credit Union, The Brigham Hill Foundation, CSR Financial Services and the Grafton Cultural Council with additional support from Koopman Lumber & Hardware.
