Tonight's Shows: Philadelphia Sinfonia

Also: The Takeover UK and more.

By Michael Alan Goldberg
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted May. 5, 2009

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I have a soft spot for youth/young-adult orchestras like Philadelphia Sinfonia — I grew up playing the violin and played in the Bucks County Youth Orchestra. I was probably the weak link of the first violin section, but whatever. On the whole, we were pretty good, but I can say from firsthand concertgoing experience that Philadelphia Sinfonia blows us out of the water. Comprised of 100 musicians ages 13-22, the orchestra has been performing symphonic and chamber music since 1997 (and led by conductor, and Temple grad, Gary D. White since 1999), typically doing about a half-dozen full-orchestra performances every season and tackling some quite difficult pieces. Tonight, they wrap up their season with a performance at the Kimmel Center [8pm/$25]. Here in Philly, the kids over at the Paul Green School of Rock get lots of attention (and deservedly so), but the kids in town playing classical music deserve some attention for their efforts, too.

Here is Philadelphia Sinfonia’s repertoire for the current season, including tonight’s performance (subject to change):

  • Coronation March from “Le Prophète” - Giacomo Meyerbeer
  • The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture, K384 - W.A. Mozart
  • Fidelio Overture, Op. 72b - Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 - Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Romeo and Juliet Overture - P.I. Tchaikovsky
  • Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet:  Suites 1 & 2, Op. 64a & Op. 64b - Sergei Prokofiev
  • Scènes Historiques, Op. 25 - Jean Sibelius
  • West Side Story:  Selections for Orchestra - Leonard Bernstein

 

The Takeover UK
8pm, $8. Khyber.
When a band from Pittsburgh names itself the Takeover UK and its debut album Running With the Wasters, something is definitely amiss. Coming off like a sloppy tongue kiss between British Invasion pop and glam-damaged garage, the expertly tousled quartet is reverent nearly to the point of mimicry. But the songs are pleasantly jittery and over before you know it, which was enough for Rykodisc to swoop in and release the record. The Takeover UK gets fair mileage out of its anachronisms, and while such rattling riffs and casual choruses go down well enough in American dive bars, we’ll see what happens when the band actually sets foot in England. (Doug Wallen)

Also, long-running Canadian orchestral indie-rockers the Dears — who had their tour bus stolen the other night in Montreal (but thankfully didn’t have any of their gear snatched) — have found new wheels to take them to Johnny Brenda’s tonight in support of their recently released album, Missiles [9pm/$15]; and NYC-via-Maryland singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson (a fave of Perez Hilton, who helped bring him to the world’s attention a couple years ago), who often earns comparisons to Jason Mraz, Billy Joel, Ben Folds, etc., brings his piano-laced pop to World Cafe Live [7:30pm/$19-24].

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