It’s been an exciting time for Kennett Symphony Music Director Michael Hall. After two years of not being able to perform because of COVID, the orchestra got back on stage in January.
“It was great,” he said. “The feelings were positive, and the audience was receptive. People said it was great to have live music again.”
Now Hall and 25-30 of his orchestra members are gearing up for what can be termed “edutainment.” A performance that will entertain and educate at the same time, billed as a ‘Reimagined Symphony.’
The less formal and short one-hour-long concert will feature Pergolesi’s Olimpiade, and Igor Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite with some educational commentary by Hall.
The reimagined concerts are “a different type of concert,” he said. “It’s a concert experience that we think is a little out of the norm.”
Hall said it would be more informal and relaxed. It’s a shorter concert than normal, only an hour-long, snacks and beverages are available, and the audience sits around the orchestra, similar to theater in the round. In this case, music in the round. And it will be in the ballroom at the Mendenhall Inn instead of a more typical venue.
“Everything is different. We want to make it a concert where people who may not know if they want to go to a concert or are not sure what to expect, that it’s something very easy to take,” he said.
The educational aspect of the concert is that Hall breaks down the masterwork and discusses it with the audience.
“I talk about the piece, talk about what to expect when you hear it. We’ll play musical examples. So, for an audience member who doesn’t know anything about the piece, I will point them in certain directions [so they’ll know why a certain part is so interesting.] … That opens up their ears a little bit … We’re opening up the door, letting them in to see how interesting and fascinating these pieces of music are.”
As Hall said in a previous interview, the reimagined concerts help people know how the music is put together and, he hopes, get them to understand it and love it.
The cost for the 1 p.m. Sunday, March 19 concert is $50, but Hall said that also includes your first drink. He jokingly referred to the event as “Stravinsky and Stoli.”
Masking at Mendenhall is optional.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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