Thursday, November 20, 2008

Quad City Symphony Orchestra Plays Duke Ellington's 'Three Black Kings' at Holiday Concert

[The Definitive Duke Ellington; Sony 61444 (2000)]

Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2008, 2:10 pm
Jonathan Turner, jturner@qconline.com
“Mark Russell Smith has conducted his share of holiday pops concerts. But nothing like what we have in the Quad-Cities, he says. 'This is unique,' Mr. Smith, the new music director of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO), said recently. 'It will be an adventure for all of us. What I love about that is, having our orchestra and orchestral music be part of that tradition, be part of something the community does year in and year out.' On Saturday, Mr. Smith will lead the QCSO for the 16th annual Holiday Pops concert. The program will feature the Figure Skating Club of the Quad Cities, the Sanctuary Choir of First Presbyterian Church, the Holiday Pops Children's Chorus, and the Atlantic Brass Quintet (this week's Quad City Arts Visiting Artist).”

“In addition to the traditional holiday favorites at the Holiday Pops, Mr. Smith has programmed a few surprises – in a trilogy of tunes dedicated to the seasonal three kings. 'It's music fit for a king,' he said of this section. 'What I love to do is have kind of thematic ideas, and have different people opining on those. It's a different perspective, looking at the same thing in different ways.' These selections are 'March of the Three Kings' by Georges Bizet; 'Three Black Kings' by Duke Ellington, and 'Good King Kong Looked Out' (based on 'Good King Wenceslas') by P.D.Q. Bach.”  “The 2008 Holiday Pops is at the i wireless Center, Moline, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $12 and are available in person at the i wireless Box Office, by phone at (563) 326-1111, or at http://www.QCSymphony.com. [Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]





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