DVAA and The Sullivan County Chamber Orchestra (SCCO) invites families and music lovers of all ages to this captivating performance, which will bring Shakespeare’s most musical comedy to life through an interactive concert experience designed for families and listeners of all generations.
Running exactly 75 minutes with no intermission, the program will serve as a journey into Mendelssohn’s masterwork. To guide the audience into this enchanted forest, the ensemble utilizes a specialized dectet configuration of ten virtuosic players (five strings and five winds) to map out a vivid musical trajectory.
The performance begins with Luigi Boccherini’s Night Music of the Streets of Madrid, setting the evening scene with literal textures of church bells and Spanish street guitars. The narrative then shifts into a dream state through Claude Debussy’s ethereal Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, before plunging completely into the fairy realm of Mendelssohn’s iconic A Midsummer Night’s Dream suite, featuring the Overture, Scherzo, Nocturne, and the triumphant Wedding March.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is in both text and music a bridge between the Human world and the spirit world.” We are inviting families to explore how ten acoustic instruments can recreate an imaginative experience. From the light, scurrying wings of the fairy queen’s court to the lower strings mimicking a braying donkey, the music does all the storytelling.”
Far from a passive listening experience, the concert features high-quality interactive elements directly aligned with the New York State Core Arts Standards. Prior to the event, families and classrooms will have access to downloadable listening maps and educational resources via social media. During the performance, young audience members will actively track the narrative, learning to identify complex musical themes, trace instrument dialogues, and experience the mechanics of orchestral world-building firsthand.
About Sullivan County Chamber Orchestra
The Sullivan County Chamber Orchestra is dedicated to enriching the community by enhancing the quality of life through artistic expression and cultural experiences. Our mission is to inspire a vibrant cultural renaissance, fostering both economic growth and emotional well-being. We strive to promote the arts as a means of strengthening the cultural fabric of our community and offering opportunities for all generations to connect, experience, and grow through music.
Acknowledgements
The activities of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance are made possible in part by a grant from the Fair Games Fund, the Nancy Stevenson Memorial Fund, and the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature.
