Symphony 2: The Glory and the Grandeur

Symphony 2: The Glory & The Grandeur

Symphony 2: The Glory & The Grandeur
Saturday, November 4, 2023, 7:30 pm
WK Kellogg Auditorium
Briton-Renee Collins, percussion
Andrew Fritz, percussion
David Hall, percussion

Bask in this high-energy show featuring three percussion soloists, 100+ of their favorite instruments, Ravel’s brilliant La Valse, and Copland’s beloved Fanfare for the Common Man.

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Fun Facts about the Concert

"Fanfare for the Common Man" premiered March 12, 1943, in observance of income tax time - something every "common man" has to endure.
You’ll want to practice not blinking so you don’t miss a second of the percussive pyrotechniques of our—not one, not two, but three—soloists in Russell Peck’s The Glory and the Grandeur. The spectacle is a good example of why classical music is best experienced live!
Written in 1919, some biographers have speculated that Ravel may have subconsciously processed his feelings about war as he wrote La Valse. Later, he wrote a piano concerto specifically for an artist who lost his right hand in WWI.

What are Ticket Prices?

Tickets start at $11 for adults and $11 for students and go up to $48 based on the seat location. The least expensive seats are at the back of the balcony and the front closest to the stage.

Here are some other helpful tips you should know as well:

1. The best deal comes when you don’t wait until the very last minute to order tickets. We never offer last minute discounts because we don’t want to undercut patrons who already purchased their seats. Whenever you see a concert you’d like to attend, you get the best seats by not waiting.

2. Another way to save is to buy a subscription. Currently subscriptions for all five concerts are available with great deals. Contact us at 269-963-1911 and we'd be more than happy to find a deal for you. 2023-2024 Ticket Order Form

3. If you’re a student on a budget, be sure to bring your student ID for great discounts.

What's on the program?

Program Notes

PROGRAM NOTES

Fanfare for a Common Man

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Fanfare for a Common Man was commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. This piece is perhaps Copland's most recognized piece, as it is continuously used for television and has been used for events such as the inauguration of President Nixon.

Copland experimented with various titles such as, Fanfare for Our Heroes, until he finally stayed with Fanfare for a Common Man. It premiered March 12th, intentionally near income tax time, as it would be an opportunity to honor the common man. Scored for brass and percussion, it is one of the only fanfares that has stood the test of time.

Overture for Symphonic Orchestra

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)

Overture for Symphonic Orchestra was written in 1943 during the German occupation of Poland. The next year, Bacewicz would flee Warsaw during an uprising. The premiere of this Overture would not be performed until 1945 after Poland’s liberation from the Nazi’s. This piece is distinguished by its clear collection of melodies, and its simple and celebratory themes. Although the orchestration and form are rather unconventional, this is what makes the composition so captivating.

Adagietto from Symphony No. 5

Gustov Mahler (1860-1911)

Symphony No. 5 was a pivotal compositional moment for Mahler as it was his first solely instrumental symphony since his Symphony No. 1. This symphony is considered as Mahler’s love letter in the form of a musical manuscript to his wife Alma. Despite the Adagietto taking only five pages in the symphony’s score of 250 pages, it carries an undeniable weight. This movement has undoubtedly become the most popular movement from this symphony. Mahler created this movement as a breath and moment of reflection in between the intense opening three movements and finale. The Adagietto’s passionate melodies reveal its character as a touching love song, with moments reflecting the emotional pain with interrupted periods of bliss.

The Glory and the Grandeur

Russell Peck (1945-2009)

The Glory and the Grandeur is a concerto written for percussion trio and orchestra. It was premiered by Percussion Group Cincinnati in 1988. The work is scored for three multiple-percussion sets, with toms and snare drums, four keyboard instruments, and a variety of metallic sounds such as opera gongs, cymbals, Chinese cymbals and crotales. The Glory and the Grandeur captivates an American feel with its use of blues scales and popular American rhythms.

La Valse

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

La Valse, poème chorégraphique pour orchestre (a choreographic poem for orchestra), was written between the years 1919 and 1920. It premiered on December 12th, 1920 in Paris as a ballet, but it is now more commonly performed as a stand alone concert work. The beginning opens with a hazy feel, almost depicting a sort of mist. As the piece grows dynamically, so does the tension as the orchestra erupts into the work’s principal waltz theme. Identified as carefree and seductive, the waltz posed an interesting stance on a then collapsing Austrian society.

Symphony No. 2: Finale

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Symphony No. 2 marks an era where Sibelius began to speak his own, personal symphonic language. He conducted the first performance himself, in Helsinki on March 8, 1902. In the third movement, the scherzo and trio are both repeated, gradually forming a bridge to the bold and uplifting finale. The second subject of this movement is a prayerful sorrow that portrays tragic eloquence. Later it was revealed that Sibelius took inspiration for it from the death by suicide of his sister-in-law. The music reestablishes its sense of optimism, leading to a triumphant coda.

How Long is the Concert?

When Do I Clap?

Whenever you want! Seriously, the tradition of clapping only at the end of pieces was only for a short time in the history of music. Typically, people like to clap after a great solo in a jazz tune, an impressive dance move, or after a great movement (section) in a symphony. If you really like a piece, clap at the end of the movement and yell "encore" if you want to hear more. (we love playing encores!)

What Do I Wear?

More than anything, we want you to have fun and express your own style when you come to the Battle Creek Symphony, so dress in a way that works for you. Some people love dressing up and going out—if that’s you, do it and you won’t be the only one, we promise. If you prefer to be more casual, then you probably won’t be the only one dressed casually, either. In short, you do you, and we’re just glad you’re joining us.

Where Do I Park?

Meet the Artists

Britton-René Collins

Hailed as an “Astounding Virtuoso” and “Exhilarating” performer, percussionist Britton-René Collins is a winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, receiving the Ambassador Prize for exceptional musicianship and demonstrating an active passion for creating social change through her music.

A Grand Prize winner of the 2022 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition and the 2021 Chicago International Music Competition, Britton-René has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada, and Europe. She has performed with several orchestras including the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Meridian Symphony Orchestra, and the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra. Her 2023-24 season includes performances alongside the Western Piedmont Symphony, the Albany Symphony Orchestra (GA), the Marquette Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, the Battle Creek Symphony, and the Saint Paul Civic Symphony. In addition to her active solo career, Britton-René enjoys life as a chamber musician with New York City-based Excelsis Percussion Quartet. She is also the co-founder of Vision Duo alongside violinist Ariel Horowitz. As an advocate for new music, Britton-René's current projects involve generating new solo and chamber works for multi-percussion and marimba.

Born in the United States, Britton-René began playing the piano at age five. She discovered percussion at eight years old when she became intrigued by the drum set. She quickly fell in love with playing rock, jazz, and pop music on the drum set, which ignited her enthusiasm to explore various percussion instruments and styles of music. She received her B.M. at the University of Toronto with Aiyun Huang, Beverley Johnston, and John Rudolph, where she won the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and performed the Canadian premiere of Sergei Golovko’s first marimba concerto alongside Maestro Uri Mayer and the UTSO. She is currently pursuing her M.M. at the University of Michigan. Her primary instructors include Doug Perkins and Ian Antonio.

Andrew Fritz

Andrew Fritz is a Timpanist, Percussionist and Music Educator based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has been Principal Timpanist with the Battle Creek Symphony since 2014. In addition to Battle Creek, he also holds positions with the Lansing Symphony and the Ann Arbor Symphony. Andrew frequently performs with the Grand Rapids Symphony, including Carnegie Hall in 2018. As an educator, Andrew has held teaching appointments at Aquinas College, Hope College, and Cornerstone University, both as an applied instructor and as a lecturer in percussion methods. He received an Artist Diploma as a student of Ed Harrison and Vadim Karpinos at Roosevelt University. Andrew also holds a M.M. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a B.M. from Webster University.

David Hall

David Hall - Assistant Principal Percussionist and Assistant Principal Timpanist with the Grand Rapids Symphony since 1987, David has been “delighting audiences with his virtuosity and musical sensitivity” for years with his many recitals throughout the Midwest, Concertos with the Grand Rapids Symphony and other West Michigan Arts organizations including Battle Creek Symphony in the mid 1990’s. David has served on the music faculty of both Central Michigan University and Michigan State University. He received degrees from Ithaca College, NY and the Eastman School of Music. His CD Saudação! is one of the more popular recordings of standard marimba literature to this day. Additionally, Mr. Hall has presented his school assembly program, Marimbamania!, to thousands of students across Michigan and the Midwest.

Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man - BBC Proms 2012

Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) : Overture for orchestra (1943)

Gustavo Dudamel - LA Phil SOUND/STAGE: Mahler, Adagietto from Symphony No. 5

Russell Peck:The Glory and the Grandeur

Ravel: La valse ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Jean-Christophe Spinosi

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 – IV. Finale – London Philharmonic Orchestra

Grażyna Bacewicz - Overture

Thank you to our sponsors!

Sponsored By Summit Bay Private Wealth Advisors Daniel Graham

Sponsored By the Guido A and Elizabeth H. Binda Foundation

Sponsored By The Battle Creek Community Foundation

We'd Love to hear from you!

Phone: 269.963.1911

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE (COVID-19)

The Music Center is currently open and resuming all activities. We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously and follow the CDC and State of Michigan safety guidelines. While we understand some may wish to adhere to their own interpretation of protocols, you will be required you to comply with safety postings in our building in order to participate in our classes and lessons.