Friday, June 10, 2005

Canton Symphony - Kinder Concerts

On April 13, we attended a performance with the Canton Symphony Orchestra called a "Kinder Concert." They recommend this for the early elementary grades, but it was still quite enjoyable for those of us who were a bit older.

The goal of the concert was to acquaint the children with the different sections and instruments that make up the orchestra. This was accomplished by first telling the children about a certain section and the instruments it contains, then showing the students the instruments by holding them up or out, and then playing a selection which highlighted that particular family of instruments. Often, the musicians would walk out and around the children, and there were a few seemingly impromptu solos by these very talented musicians in order to demonstrate the instrument's sound. The concert was extremely enjoyable, and included some very recognizable important classical pieces from the Barber of Seville Overture (Rossini) to a group sing-a-long of London Bridge and ending with On the Beautiful Blue Danube by Strauss. I was given a wonderfully informative workbook with much information regarding the orchestra and its parts.

I did not know ahead of time, however, that the concert takes place in the lobby with the children seated on the floor. This is not an issue at all, but I was under the impression when I made my reservations that seating was very limited. When we arrived, there didn't seem to be any shortage of floor space. There were a few school groups there, and most of these children were around Kindergarten age, but they were well-behaved

I was treated well by the staff when I called. Tickets cost about $4.00 each. Reservations, though, had to be made by March 8, which was a little early for some of my group to plan on coming. Still, it was worth the effort and I hope to spend more time listening to this charming orchestra.

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