Every year since 2007 the Richmond Symphony Orchestra has participated & coordinated a community event called "Come & Play". The event name is pretty self-explanatory; nearly anyone in the community is able to come and play in a one day rehearsal with a concert directly afterwards. There were close to 600 participants this year, which included RSO players who graciously agreed to come and facilitate the minor crises in each section (which are bound to happen with the wide range of talent present). This year's program consisted of full or edited versions of "In The Hall Of The Mountain King", "Themes from Phantom Of The Opera", "St. John's on Church Hill" (inspired by Richmond's historic St. John's Church and composed by RSO's composer-in-residence DJ Sparr), "Danse Bacchanale", "Stars & Stripes Forever", "March Of The Toreadors", and the waltz from Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty".
Love, love, LOVE this event. Ben & Tiffany Williams came down from Loudoun County (she was in Judy's studio with me at GMU, Ben and I were in the Hammel music studio in middle/high school), Katie (Bishop) Pullam played with us (she was also in Judy's studio), and Marcey Leonard (GRYWE "mom") came too!!! I love getting to see my friends at musical events. I played piccolo for the whole event, got to sit next to Ann Choomack and listen to her awesome picc-ing, and there were like, at least a dozen piccolos playing that Stars & Stripes solo. Just awesome.
Basically this is an excellent community event. Students can find teachers, babies can get real confidence playing with the "big kids", and it is just so much fun. Not only that, it directly benefits the music programs in our schools. Love the RSO!
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