RCO

&

Eaton Community Chorus

Spring Joint Concert

Sunday, May 5 * 3:30 p.m.
Eaton Performing Arts Center
Eaton, Ohio

“The Star-Spangled Banner” – John Stanford Smith/Francis Scott Key (1814)

“Homeward Bound“ – Marta Keen
This heartfelt piece is elegant in its simplicity and memorable in its warmth and sincerity.  It was sung by the combined Eaton High School Chorus and the EACC at the dedication of the Eaton Performing Arts Center in 2013.

“De Colores“
A traditional Mexican folk song, “De Colores” translates as “in colors” and celebrates the colors of spring.  This folk song dates back to the 16th century.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

“Catch a Falling Star” – Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss
This 1950’s classic was made famous by Perry Como, who won a Grammy in 1959 for Best Vocal Performance, Male.  This was the first year for the Grammys.  The duo of Vance and Pockriss also wrote the big hit in our family:  “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”

“Prelude for a Celebration” – Jay Conard  1958-
This started as a keyboard piece for the wedding of a nephew in Florida.  However, it grew in my mind to something that needed a full orchestra to give it full voice.  The brass start with a fanfare, while the strings fill out the lyrical melody in the second half.

Gloria – Antonio Vivaldi  1678-1741
We will present the first movements from this baroque masterpiece.

Music from Star Wars – John Williams  1932-  
This music from the original Star Wars movie established composer John Williams as the master of film music.  The film came out in the summer of 1977 and was a smash hit immediately.  We present “Duel of the Fates” from episode I (first of the prequels) and then do the “Ewok – Celebration” from episode 6 (end of the original trilogy).  To round it out, we present a short medley from the first film (episode 4).

  1. “Duel of the Fates”
  2. “Ewok – Celebration”
  3. Star Wars – Closing credits

“Ain’-a That Good News” – William Dawson 1899-1990
Dawson arranged many spirituals sung by his renowned Tuskegee Choir at the Tuskegee Institute, where he taught for many years.

“Tico Tico no fuba”  – Zequinha de Abreu 1880-1935 
The title translates to “rufous-collared sparrow in the cornmeal.”  It is a Brazilian song written in 1917.

“Singin’ in the Rain” – Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
Most of us know this song from the 1952 movie of the same name, in which Gene Kelly dances through puddles in a rain storm. It was first sung in a 1929 Broadway show by Cliff Edwards – also known as Ukulele Ike and as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Disney’s Pinocchio.

Medley from Les Miserables – Schonberg/Kretzmer
The original novel was published by Victor Hugo in 1862. The musical version (originally in French) has been in constant production since 1985 – which is longer than the 17 years from 1815-32 that the story covers.