November 25, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Santa Monica Symphony Concert to Celebrate the Legacy of MLK Jr.

By Tabitha Hogue

Many people think diminishing audiences for classical orchestral concerts is a modern day problem, but in fact, it was an issue for orchestras as far back as the 1930s. No stranger to this problem, American composer Aaron Copland decided to try out a musical style that would be more appealing and accessible to the general public. The resulting pieces include some of his most beloved compositions, such as Appalachian Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man. The Fanfare was inspired by a line from a speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Vice-President, Henry Wallace, which described the 20th century as “the century of the common man.”

Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man will open a special free concert by the Santa Monica Symphony this Saturday, January 13th , at 2 pm in SGI Auditorium, 525 Wilshire Blvd. This Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend performance will celebrate the legacy of MLK Jr. and largely comprises music by American composers, including Duke Ellington and Joseph Schwantner.

About the Fanfare, Santa Monica Symphony Music Director and Conductor Guido Lamell says, “I love this piece – it’s got this great American sound to it – full of open harmonies and major chords above powerful percussion elements. What the character of this music – and the title of the work – says to me is that we are more similar and more together than we are apart.”

The next piece on the program, Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown, and Beige, Lamell describes as “a wonderful orchestration of some standard jazz styles.” As such, the piece presents some unique challenges. “Even though a saxophone or a trumpet can go tearing through improvisational solos at the speed of light, which is kind of normal in the jazz world, when you try to get a whole brass section or all the strings to emulate that and do it together, it turns out that it’s one of the most difficult things that we’ve ever done,” Lamell said, adding, “But it’s great fun.”

Black, Brown, and Beige illustrates various seasons of African American history, with the “Black” section depicting people at work and at prayer. “Brown” commemorates black soldiers who fought in American wars. “Beige”, Ellington said, was meant to “depict the contemporary Negro and his plight in the US between two world wars and during the second. The twenties meant gin-mills, the pseudo-African movement, the Charleston, the party life, the lonely plight of the single drinkers, the sad tinkle of a
people beneath the tremblors of their night-life.

The first half of the program ends with Giacomo Puccini’s great operatic aria Te Deum from Tosca, and will be performed by Internationally celebrated Bass/Baritone Cedric Berry. Regarding his selection of this aria, Berry notes, “This concert has epic pieces from other genres. I wanted to choose something from the operatic repertoire that was just as epic. This is one of the greatest scenes for a Bass/Baritone, riddled with theatrical and vocal drama.”

The closing piece on Saturday’s program is Joseph Schwantner’s New Morning for the World, which Lamell describes as “a complex and grand work that is designed to provide a dramatic setting for a number of Martin Luther King’s great narratives.” Cedric Berry returns to the stage to provide the narration and he commented, “Although I have never performed the piece, I respect and value anything that honors and highlights the life and words of Martin Luther King.”

Lamell cautions audience members not to expect a “comfortable, fun, melodic piece. In fact, the whole opening of it has a character of conflict, turmoil and strife with lots of percussion and complex rhythms and even conflicting harmonies to set the stage for the conflicts and difficulties of black history. Only later in the work do things begin to calm down and take on a more conciliatory tone.”

Saturday’s performance at SGI Auditorium is free to the public, with open seating. For more information about the concert, please visit www.smSymphony.org or call (310)395-6330.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Photo by Julian Wasser//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)
Related Posts

Donate Blood and Save Lives at Culver City Fire Station This Weekend

November 22, 2024

November 22, 2024

Get a T-Shirt, Gift Card for Participating in the Cedars-Sinai Blood Drive The Culver City Rotary Club, in collaboration with...

LAPD Motorcycle Officer Hospitalized After 405 Freeway Crash in Sepulveda Pass

November 21, 2024

November 21, 2024

Collision Near Skirball Center DrivePossibly Involving a Tesla Caused Major Traffic  The 405 Freeway was the scene of a motorcycle...

Santa Monica Police Release Body Cam Footage of Deadly Force Incident Outside Headquarters

November 21, 2024

November 21, 2024

Graphic Video Shows a Violent Assault on an SMPD Officer by a Knife-Wielding Suspect The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD)...

Breakaway Café Opens New Venice Location with Beachside Grab-and-Go Window

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

Bayse Brothers Bring Their Signature Breakfast Dishes and Good Vibes to Venice Breakaway Café, a popular breakfast and lunch eatery...

Last Minute Additions to the Best Thanksgiving 2024 Feasts and Pies To Go

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

If Other Faves are Sold Out, Here’s All The Quality Places to Try Now Celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary...

Everytable’s Holiday Meal Collaboration To Support LA’s Unhoused Youth

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

Chef Created Thanksgiving Meal Benefits My Friend’s Place. Everytable, the mission-driven company committed to making scratch-cooked, nutritious meals accessible to...

Los Angeles City Council Codifies Sanctuary Protections for Migrants with New Citywide Ordinance

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Mayor Bass Prioritized the Ordinance after Trump’s Mass Deportation Threats The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to officially...

The Palms Community Council’s Executive Committee Schedules Special Meeting for Nov. 20

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Meeting to Address Open Board Positions and Committee Updates The Executive Committee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, Nov....

Hammer Museum Presents 10th Edition of MoMA Contenders: Screenings, Conversations with Top Filmmakers

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Lineup Features Films by Steve McQueen, Sean Baker, and Brady Corbett The Hammer Museum will host the 10th edition of...

Film Review: Wicked

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

By Dolores Quintana Director John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights) has crafted an effervescent take on the blockbuster...

Randy’s Donuts Arrives in Culver City with Free Donuts and a $250 Gift Card Giveaway

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Grand Opening on November 19 Includes Sweet Giveaways Starting at 6:00 a.m. The time is finally here. Randy’s Donuts is...

Nicole Nagel’s Futuristic Eric Moss Designed Brentwood Home To Hit Auction Block

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

The Spaceship-Like Property Heads to Auction With No Reserve in December German actress Nicole Nagel, who was part of the...

LA Controller Kenneth Meija: City Left $513 Million of Homelessness Budget Unspent

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Inefficiencies Blamed for Underspending Despite Record Allocation in FY2024  The City of Los Angeles hasn’t spent over half of its...

West LA College Expands Zero-Cost Textbook Programs with $600K Grant

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

College Aims for 50 Zero-Cost Textbook Programs by 2025  West Los Angeles College (West) is expanding its zero-cost textbook program...

(Video) At Vistamar School – Discover the way high school should be

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Students achieve remarkable outcomes with our strong academics, small classes, andpersonalized approach. Our graduates don’t just attend college—they excel. Vistamar’sunique...