Spooky Sounds

Oct. 21, 2016

At The GLCO’s Halloween Concert

In one scenario, the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, summoning a host of dry, rattling skeletons to leave their graves and dance the night away, accompanied by Death playing his fiddle, until a rooster crows at dawn.

In the other scenario, dreadful news is announced when it’s discovered that a symphony composer has been killed, and everyone has an alibi — including many of the suspects … namely, the orchestra’s instruments.

Both of these storylines will play out on October 29 as the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra (GLCO) celebrates Halloween with a special concert featuring the 1800s symphonic poem Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) by Camille Saint-Saëns, and The Composer is Dead, a contemporary music performance by composer Nathaniel Stookey, which is accompanied by a story from Lemony Snicket (the pen name of author Daniel Handler, who wrote A Series of Unfortunate Events).

GHOSTLY GUESTS

The GLCO has been active since 2001, varying in the size of its performance ensembles depending on the music it performs.

“We share members with the Traverse City Orchestra, and we also have people traveling here to perform from elsewhere in west Michigan, as well as from Gaylord and the U.P.,” explained Anne McDevitt, the GLCO’s executive director.

In addition to its usual ongoing schedule of orchestral performances, the GLCO presents themed shows for holidays, including this Halloween show and its Christmas concert, Messiah Plus One, which will take place December 15 and 16.

But for this month, it’s all about everything eerie to welcome in All Hallows’ Eve, complete with a costume concert and some very special guests.

“We’re doing something a little different for the GLCO Halloween show,” McDevitt said. “We have a fundraiser each year at which we auction off the opportunity to con duct the orchestra, and Roger Tallman, who won it this year, passed the privilege to his son, Spencer, who is in 10th grade at Petoskey High School.”

EERIE ENDEAVORS

Spencer Tallman has been working with the GLCO’s conductor and will follow in the footsteps of both his father and his grandfather, Harold, who both had musical careers. Tallman will conduct the Danse Macabre portion of the program.

Also performing will be Isaac Wittenberg, who will play the Piano Concerto in G Minor, Opus 25, by Felix Mendelssohn. Wittenberg, who is homeschooled, is the winner of the Charles F. Davis Concerto Competition, a competition the GLCO holds each spring for performers 18 and under.

Wittenberg also participates in the Petoskey High School Steel Drum Band and marching band, and he plans to study music in college.

“We’re thrilled to have Isaac performing. He actually takes piano lessons from one of our orchestra members,” McDevitt said. “It’s so cool that we’ve got youth performing and being involved with this concert event.”

UNNERVING NARRATIVE

The Composer is Dead, which simultaneously teaches the audience about the different instruments of the orchestra while presenting the story, will feature local actor and business owner Gary Albert as the piece’s narrator. The language and characters of the suspenseful tale by Lemony Snicket will add a twist of quirkiness to the proceedings.

“Gary’s done a lot of local theater here, so that should be great,” McDevitt said. “I’m looking forward to the Lemony Snicket performance so much! I think it’s great when people go to see something just to enjoy it and end up learning something too.”

The Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra Halloween Concert will take place on October 29 at 4pm at the Petoskey United Methodist Church. Tickets are available at area Chamber of Commerce offices and the GLCO office at 438 E. Lake St. 231-487-0010 or glcorchestra.org.