.MSO closes season on a classical note
By Tom Range, Sr.

The finale of the 2005-2006 season of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) held over the weekend April 21 to 23, 2006, featured works of the English composer Ralph Vaughn-Williams (1872-1958), the Frenchman Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) and the German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).  Amid these offerings of what would be considered classical pieces, was an original composition of the MSO’s composer-in-residence Phanos Dymiotis, born in Cyprus in 1965, was performed.

Among the Eastern Shore venues for MSO concerts was the Asbury Church in Salisbury, MD.  Many in the audience at the Saturday night performance marveled at the spectacular set of organ pipes at Asbury and hoped to attend an organ recital there at a future date.  Vaughn-Williams’ “Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis” opened the program.  As stated in the pre-concert talk by Caitlin Patton, Thomas Tallis was a 16th century composer in the service of the English monarchy.  The theme that Vaughn-Williams incorporated in his Fantasia, composed in the early 20th century, was written by Tallis during the reign of Elizabeth I.

The “Academic Overture” by Phanos Dymiotis was composed in 1992.  According to the resident composer and violinist in MSO, “I composed this piece in 1992 to enter a competition organized by the University of Cyprus.  The piece won first prize and has had a number of performances in at least five countries…  The U.S. premier took place in Towson, MD in February 1996…”

The third piece in the MSO concert was the “Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor,” written in 1872 by Camille Saint-Saens.  The orchestra’s principal cellist, Adam Gonzalez, was the featured soloist.  Throughout the first half of the concert the resident composer, the soloist, Ms. Patton and the Music Director Julien Benichou were eager and generous in enlightening the audience on the technical nuances of the pieces being played.

The finale of the concert was the performance of the “Symphony #2 in D Major” by Johannes Brahms.  This work was composed in 1877, written only a year after his first symphony.  According to the program notes written by Ms. Patton, Brahms felt compelled to at least match the works of such greats as his predecessor Ludwig von Beethoven.  Under Maestro Benichou’s spirited direction of the “Symphony #2,” Brahms’ reputation is secure.

On a sad note, Tom Longo, long the presenter of the pre-concert talks, announced that he is moving from the Eastern Shore.  His incisive and informative comments will be missed though Caitlin Patton, a 2005 music major graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, MD and a MSO board member, will prove to be a competent successor.

The next attraction sponsored by MSO will be the appearance of the Julliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra at the Community Church on Route 589 in Ocean Pines on Sunday, June 4, 2006 at 2:30 p.m.  Over 60 young musicians, ages 8 to 18, from New York’s Julliard School of Music will perform under the direction of Maestro Benichou.  Information is available at 1-888-846-8600 and on MSO’s website, www.midatlanticsymphony.org.


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