Salem Symphonic Winds will conclude their 50th Anniversary Season by performing Johan de Meij's Symphony No. 5 - RETURN TO MIDDLE EARTH. The performance will feature a collaboration with Festival Chorale Oregon and will include soprano Kurleen George. The program will be presented on Sunday, June 15 at 3 pm in Rose Auditorium at South Salem High School. Tolkien also inspired De Meij’s 1st Symphony The Lord of the Rings. Symphony 5 draws inspiration from The Silmarillion, which provides historical context for the more familiar Tolkien sagas.
In Symphony No. 5 de Meij presents six dramatic movements: The Jewels of Fëanor, Tinúviel (Nightengale), Ancalagon the Black dragon, Arwen Undómiel (Evenstar), Dagor Delothrin (The War of Wrath), and Thuringwethil (Woman of Secret Shadow.)
In addition to more common instruments, the symphony calls for a full cello section, string bass, contrabassoon, English Horn, harp, piano, an array of exotic percussion, a choir, and a featured soprano soloist. The choir and soprano sing in Ilkorin, one of the Elvish languages of Middle-Earth. Orcs and other thugs also make an appearance in the battle scene, but they only use raw screams in their own language, also known as ‘black speech’.
The concert will also feature flute soloist Pippa Randolph in the Concerto for Flute and Wind Orchestra by Mike Mower. Mower combined the virtuosic demands of the soloist with jazz elements in the writing for the band. The resulting concerto provides a stunning challenge for the soloist and an entertaining musical ride for the audience.
The concert will be conducted by John Skelton, the band’s Artistic Director, who is a charter member of the band. Solveig Holmquist is the founding Artistic Director of Festival Chorale Oregon. The collaboration of the two ensembles follows in the steps of their collaborations on the Requiem by Frigyes Hidas, and the Queen Symphony by Tolga Kashif. Both featured soloists, Kurleen George and Pippa Randolph, teach music in the Salem/Keizer schools and to students in their respective music studios. Pippa performs as the principal flute in the band. Kurleen has appeared with the band at their annual light concert at the Youngberg Hill Vineyard and Inn, as well as in a performance of a concert suite from the opera Porgy and Bess.
Members of the Ventus Woodwind Quintet will perform a short program at 2:45 pm. The concert begins at 3 pm and will run for less than 2 hours with a 20-minute intermission. Doors open at 2:15 pm.
This project was made possible, in part, by funding from the Marion County Cultural Corporation.
Kurleen George - Soprano Soloist
Kurleen George is passionate about sharing music through performing and teaching. She sings opera, musical theater, pop, R&B and music of her Caribbean heritage (calypso, reggae and soca). Most recently, she has performed roles with Broadway Rose Theater Company (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical), The Shedd Institute (Evynn Hollens Contemporary Songbook Project) and Cosmic Tomato Studios (film: Invisible Cities). Kurleen is honored to be performing with Salem Symphonic Winds again, and she is grateful to John Skelton and the members of the group for having her back. She received a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Western Oregon University and a master’s degree in teaching from Oregon State University. Kurleen also studied opera at The American Institute of Musical Studies, in Austria. Kurleen teaches music and choir in the Salem Keizer School District and she owns Elevated Singing LLC, teaching private voice lessons, seminars and singing workshops.
Pippa Randolph - Flute Soloist
Pippa has been a member of the Salem Symphonic Winds since 2003, playing flute and piccolo. She teaches a private flute studio and freelances in Salem and Portland. Since 2020, she has taught general music and choir at Gubser Elementary in Keizer, OR.
Pippa and her husband, Brett Randolph, Associate Director of Bands at Sprague High School, have five musically inclined children. Their Randolph Family Band enjoys performing Brett’s challenging arrangements.
Pippa was drawn to the Mower Flute Concerto, commissioned by American university flute professors, for its jazzy elements. British composer Mike Mower, known for his jazz works, created a fun and challenging piece. Pippa discovered it on James Galway’s CD “Tango Del Fuego,” featuring Mower’s “Sonata Latino.” She wanted to introduce something new and enjoyable from the flute repertoire for local audiences.