FARMINGTON – The University of Maine at Farmington Community Orchestra, Concert Band and Community Chorus, are open to new membership for the 2008–2009 academic year.
Members of the public interested in joining a UMF Department of Music performance group are invited to attend any of the following registration/rehearsal sessions held at Nordica Auditorium in UMF’s Merrill Hall: UMF Community Orchestra, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 3; UMF Concert Band, 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4; and UMF Community Chorus, 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 8.
The UMF Community Orchestra, conducted by Trond Saeverud, is open to community and UMF instrumentalists of all levels. The winter program will feature two master works, the Beethoven Violin Concerto and the Dvorak Ninth Symphony and will take place at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, in Nordica Auditorium. Rehearsals for the orchestra are held Wednesdays from 7–9:30 p.m., beginning Sept. 3.
Conducted by Anita Jerosch, the UMF Concert Band is comprised of community members and UMF students and performs a wide variety of standard concert band repertoire to jazz and contemporary music. This winter, the band will perform works by Arthur Pryor, R. B. Hall, Johann Strauss and Franz-Peter Schubert. The winter concert will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22, in Nordica Auditorium. Beginning Sept. 11, rehearsals will be held Thursdays from 7–9:30 p.m. New and returning members are asked to come to Nordica to pick up music and instruments at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4.
Celebrating its 27th year, the UMF Community Chorus brings together community members from throughout western Maine with UMF students, faculty and staff to sing music from a wide range of the choral repertoire. This winter, the chorus will be performing Vivaldi’s Gloria and Marc Antoine Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noël at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13; and 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14, in Nordica Auditorium. Bruce McInnes, UMF professor of music, will be conducting the chorus in the fall semester, and Paul McGovern will direct the choirs in the spring. Beginning Sept. 8, rehearsals will be held Mondays from 6:30–9 p.m.
