Orchestra at Maryville College prepares some ‘Suite Treats’ for Nov. 7 fall concert
Oct. 26, 2023
After a quiet start to the 2023-24 season, the Orchestra at Maryville College is rocketing toward two performances in less than a month: a Nov. 7 fall concert, and the Dec. 5 combined performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” both of which will take place at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the MC campus.
Needless to say, according to OCM Conductor Dr. Ace Edewards, the preparation for both has been something of a whirlwind for both players and himself.
“Preparing for two concerts has been a huge undertaking, and I admit that, so far, our preparations for ‘Messiah’ have had to take a back seat,” Edewards said. “But I feel we are in a good place with the Nov. 7 concert, and we can now tidy up some loose ends at the beginning of our rehearsal and then really dig into ‘Messiah’ in the second half. I think it is very rare that a conductor will ever say, ‘Gee, I have all these rehearsals left and nothing to work on!’”
The performance will be the first solo outing for the Orchestra under Edewards’ leadership. A founder of the Scruffy City Orchestra, a veteran of both Marble City Opera and Knoxville Opera and former producer and host of WUOT-FM’s classical “Afternoon Concert” program, he was announced as the director of the organization in fall 2022. During the 2022-23 academic year, the Orchestra performed three times, all as part of combined concerts with other MC organizations, like the Maryville College Community Chorus.
The Nov. 7 performance, Edewards said is whimsically titled “Suite Treats for Orchestra” and works on the program include: “Ballet Suite,” arranged by Felix Mottl from ballet music of five operas by Italian-born French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully; “Gipsy Suite” by English musician and composer Sir Edward German; and two pieces by “Messiah” creator Georg Frideric Handel, including “Suite in G Minor” and “Occasional Overture.”
“The planning of this concert started out with composer Edward German,” Edewards said. “I had never heard of him before, but someone suggested I give his works a listen. He was meant to be the successor to Arthur Sullivan, as in Gilbert and Sullivan. While some of his light operas are still performed, the popularity of his serious music faded to nothing in his own lifetime. Which is a shame, because his works are delightful. ‘Gipsy Suite’ was chosen, and it gave me a theme for the concert: ‘Suite Treats for Orchestra.’
“I then found a ‘Ballet Suite,’ a collection of various ballet pieces by French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged for orchestra by German composer Felix Mottl. A third suite was found suitable for some of our wind players, the ‘Suite in G Major’ by Handel. To round out the program, I thought it would be interesting to perform the works that Handel had recycled in writing Messiah, such as ‘Se tu non lasci amore,’ which became the basis for ‘O Death Where Is Thy Sting?’
“But alas, nothing was available in a version for us to play,” he added. “However, this search led me to the delightful overture of Handel’s ‘Occasional Oratorio.’”
The challenges of mounting two concerts in a single semester are hectic ones indeed, but Edewards hopes that they’ll also showcase an ensemble that’s not only up for them, but invites local musicians to take part in them as well. The Orchestra at Maryville College has a rich and storied tradition that dates back to 1915, and as a traditional orchestra that combines the talent of both student players and community members, it’s a gem of the local fine arts community, Edewards said.
“The orchestra is continuing to grow, and my hope is that as Maryville expands, players ranging from high school age to retirees will join us,” he said. “This will be an enjoyable evening of music. I would encourage everyone to come and support your community and college musicians, especially if you are curious about joining the orchestra!”
“Suite Treats for Orchestra” will be performed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts. Admission is free, and the concert is open to the public.