The Windsor Symphony Orchestra is celebrating a milestone along with Windsor and Canada.
The orchestra is kicking off its 70th season this weekend with the first of a series of signature projects, which also commemorate Canada and Ontario's 150th birthdays, but also Windsor's 125th birthday and the centennial of Point Pelee National Park.
WSO music director and conductor Robert Franz visited Windsor City Council this week to promote the first signature event, along with a short performance of Ode to Joy by the WSO Chorus. The first event takes place Saturday night at the historic Capitol Theatre with Ode to Canada.
"We have enlisted the help of the poet laureate of Windsor, Marty Gervais, as well as six other Windsor poets," says Franz. "Their poetry expressing the rich history of our community will be read between sections of the Haydn Variations by Johannes Brahms."
Opening Night will feature a piece that is having its world premiere in Windsor, Franz says.
"We will on Saturday night celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary in the biggest way we know how," says Franz. "We open with the world premiere of Fallen, by Canadian composer Jordan Pal. This piece was co-commissioned by the WSO with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra."
There will also be a powerful choral component to the festivities
"We end the concert with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9," says Franz. "Joining us on stage will be 146 choristers and four vocal soloists for a total of 150 singers."
The singers will come from the WSO Chorus, as well as the Windsor Classic Chorale and the University of Windsor Chamber Choir and University Singers, all under the direction of Dr. Bruce Kotowich.
The opening night concert is Saturday at 8pm at the Capitol. For more information on this and the rest of the WSO's 70th season, click here.