New SEKSO Browser Toolbar Available!

A new browser toolbar is available for anyone that frequents our website. You may download it on our Toolbar page. This feature is very similar to a Google or Yahoo toolbar, with links to the major areas of our website and links to our blog, contains a Google search feature, etc.

One element of the toolbar that we find very interesting is the streaming radio. There are several stations pre-loaded that play 24x7 (or close to it) classical streams, so you'll have something to listen to between concerts. It is editable, so you may add radio streams to it if you know of others.

Other sections of the toolbar may be configured by clicking on the drop list on the left hand side and selecting "Toolbar Options". Elements may be added or hidden.

Please let us know if you have any trouble, or if there are links you'd like to have added.

Hope you enjoy it!!

2007-2008 Concert Season Announced

For real this time... here is the 2007-2008 Concert Season. Adjustments will be necessary along the way, but this is 99 44/100's percent sure:


Auditions:
August 21-23 (1st week of class)
Excerpts will be available as of 8/15/07 in the Music Office.


Concert #1 - Eclectic & Elegant
Sunday, September 30, 2007,
Memorial Auditorium, 3:00 pm

Beethoven Leonore Overture (#3)
Arutunian Trumpet Concerto, AJ Metzger, trumpet
Schubert, Unfinished Symphony
Bizet, L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2, Farandole

Rehearsals – Kelce (5:00-6:15pm)
Tuesday
8/28
9/4
9/11
9/18

Thursday
8/30
9/6
9/13
9/20

Concert week:
Tuesday 9/25 7-9:30pm
Wednesday 9/26 7-9:30pm
Friday 9/28 7-9:30pm




Concert #2
Sunday, November 18, 2007,
Memorial Auditorium, 3:00 pm

Overture – Bernstein, Candide Overture
Bruch, Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Jonathan Gayman, violin
Rimsky-Korsakov, Sheherazade


Rehearsals – Kelce (5:00-6:15pm)
Tuesday
10/2
10/9
10/16
10/22
10/29
11/6

Thursday
10/4
10/11 – Fall Break/No Rehearsal
10/18
10/25 – Winds & Perc only
11/1
11/8

Concert week:
Tuesday 11/13 7-9:30pm
Wednesday 11/14 7-9:30pm
Friday 11/16 7-9:30pm



Concert #3 – Opera Performance - piece tba
Friday, 2/15/08 (7:30pm) and Sunday, 2/17/08 (3:00pm)
Memorial Auditorium

Kelce Auditorium (5:00-6:15pm)
Tuesday
11/27
12/4
--
1/22
1/29
2/5

Thursday
11/29
12/6
1/17/08
1/24
1/31
2/7

Concert week:
Pit Rehearsals tba





Concert #4
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
McCray Recital Hall - 7:30pm

Beethoven, Coriolan Overture tba
Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Debra Snodgrass, piano
Beethoven, Symphony No. 8

Rehearsal Schedule
Kelce Auditorium (5:00-6:15pm)

Tuesday
2/26
3/4
3/11
3/25
4/1
4/8 (No Strings)
4/15


Thursday
2/28
3/6
3/13
3/27
4/3
4/10 (No Winds & Perc)
4/17

Concert week:
Sunday, 4/20 3:00-6:00pm (McCray)
Monday, 4/21 7:00-9:30pm (McCray)
Tuesday, 4/22 7:00-9:30pm (McCray)

Symphonies don't have to be so like... stuffy

Rock music has been around for quite a while, and some of it has been arranged for the classical audience, most usually as a pops arrangement. Now however, we have another piece that lies more in the academic treatment category than most. We're referring to the soon to be released "Dead Symphony No. 6", by composer Lee Johnson.

The Symphony (in 12 "movements") is based on melodies made famous by the ground-breaking (ok, sorry...) rock group, the Grateful Dead, an infamous rock band in many a rocker's top ten list. One aspect of their appeal is their improvisational style that made each piece, on each concert, new and fresh.

That improvisational idea has been notched up a bit in the Symphony, where each theme is 'improvised' further by the scoring, much of which sounds very much like standard, modern day symphonic literature.

For more information, read the Reuters article "Grateful Dead music goes classical in new symphony", or go to one of the web sites above to hear excerpts. And, as always, go to the Internet Archive to hear Grateful Dead concerts! It's all good...

Schedule Conflict... How is That Possible!?!?!

A quick note to everyone - the end of season party at Stella's has been postponed one week to Thursday, May 17th at 5:00 pm. Sorry for the last minute change, but a schedule conflict made it a must-do. Hope to see everyone next week, perhaps without any rain to spoil our poolside party!!