"Behold the Sea" This Weekend

On Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, the Colorado State University Symphony Orchestra and combined choirs are proud to present “Behold the Sea,” one of the last and largest concerts of the spring semester. The concert will be performed in honor of the memory of CSU friend, Bea Griffin through the performance of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 1, the monumental “Sea Symphony.”
The performance features the University Symphony Orchestra; combined choirs of Chamber Choir, Men’s Chorus, Women's Choruses, Concert Choir, and University Chorus; along with the talents of CSU faculty members, Tiffany Blake, soprano and John Seesholtz, baritone, under the direction of Wes Kenney.

Vaughan Williams’ “Sea Symphony,” his first and longest piece for orchestra and choir, was written between 1903 and 1909 at the young age of 30. Considered ground-breaking for its extensive use of the choir throughout the piece, the symphony created the framework for choral and symphonic music in Britain during the first part of the 20th century. The text of the piece comes from Walt Whitman's “Leaves of Grass,” a favorite of the composer’s.
“There is a constant thick texture in orchestration, use of short motives, and a strong emphasis on text,” said Seesholtz. “Listeners should try to enjoy this music from a macro-scale perspective – Williams takes you on a long journey that doesn’t let you fully relax until the very end.”
The concert, takes place both nights at 7:30 p.m. in the Edna Rizley Griffin Concert Hall at the University Center for the Arts, located at 1400 Remington St. Tickets available at www.CSUArtsTickets.com.