JSO is "Going Baroque"

8 p.m. Saturday, February 5 and 3 p.m. Sunday, February 6 at First United Methodist Church, 275 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson

Concert sponsored by Consumers Energy

Guest Artists sponsored by Comerica Bank and Marcoux, Allen, Schomer, Bower, Nichols and Kendall, PC

These are challenging times for orchestras across the country and around the world. Fortunately the JSO is headed in a different direction. The third program for the orchestra's 61st season features masterpieces of the 18th Century, Bach and Handel, of course, as well as Hotteterra.

As our guest conductor and keyboard artist, Ed Parmentier describes the music, "The Bach Suite makes me think of a challenging steeplechase where the horses and their riders negotiate, elegantly and effortlessly, the hurdles and twists and turns of the course. The Handel concerto is a showcase for the prestidigitation of the organist, with bubbly themes in the outer movements and a haunting, touching theme whispered in the strings in the middle movement. The Bach g-minor harpsichord concerto is sturdy and passionate, and its romantic and emotional middle movement is Bach's answer to the Handel middle movement. The Brandenburg is Bach at his most congenial, full of good nature and conversation among the soloists, while the orchestra banters in and out with the theme in the outer movements. The harpsichord cadenza is a masterpiece of composition, re-using material from earlier in the movement but elongating and intensifying that material."

Mr. Parmentier's connection with Jackson includes not only music but golf as well. "It will be fun to do something in Jackson besides golf. I'm a long-time aficionado of Cascades and a newer-fangled lover of CCJ! But about music: I'm looking forward to working, again, with the players of JSO. And playing in that beautiful church where we did Messiah."

Mr. Parmentier will be joined by his wife, organist Shin-Ae Chun, performing one of Bach's  greatest organ masterpieces, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and a Handel Organ concerto. Richard Sherman, our principal flutist, will join Mr. Parmentier for the Suite in E Minor for flute and continuo by Hotteterra, and JSO concertmaster Xie Min will join Messers Parmentier and Sherman for Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #5.

"To have all these marvelous soloists on one concert is a rare treat," says JSO Music Director, Stephen Osmond. "They all have exceptional global careers and to have them in Jackson is extraordinary, truly great people making great music. The last time Mr. Parmentier performed with us I had difficulty concentrating on my conductorial responsibilities as it was so fascinating to hear how he embellished and brought fresh life to rather ancient music. It was true Jazz of the 18th Century."
The program will be presented twice, our usual Saturday night 8 p.m. time, and for those who prefer daylight concerts, the program will be repeated Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Individual tickets for the February 5th and 6th concerts are $18, $27, $32. They may be purchased online at www.JacksonSymphony.org; by phone at 517-782-3221; or in person at the JSO Box Office, 215 W. Michigan Ave., downtown Jackson.
All JSO ticket holders are invited to attend the complimentary and highly acclaimed pre-concert lecture series hosted by Dr. Bruce Brown, JSO Composer-in-Residence. Backstage Glimpses takes place in the FUMC Fellowship Hall one hour before each of the above mentioned concerts.

NOTE: The Jackson Symphony Orchestra is a community resource providing performances of the classics and popular music, a community music school with private and group instruction and numerous educational programs for students of all ages. The organization owns a 30,000-square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Jackson which not only serves as an administrative, rehearsal, and recital performance space for the orchestra but also is home to the Jackson Youth Symphony, the Jackson Chorale and Children's Choir, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and JSO Community String Ensemble. The orchestra primarily performs at the world-class Music Hall of the Jackson Community College Potter Center and other venues in town including several churches, the County Fairgrounds and Michigan Theatre.