July 1, 2 and 3, 2005 ONLY: tickets on sale
now
Martinez, CA. June 17, 2005.
For 42 seasons, the Diablo Symphony Orchestra has been enthralling Bay Area
audiences with their interpretations of classic repertoire as well as new
compositions. This season, they have dedicated themselves to the “Spirit of
Music,” an exploration of the unique spiritual sources from which composers
have drawn their inspiration. They will focus their attention this summer on
the American spirit when they take the stage at the 2005 John Muir Summer
Festival to Celebrate Independence! The Fourth of July
Weekend event runs July 1, 2, and 3 at 8 P.M. under the stars at the John
Muir Amphitheater in the Martinez Waterfront Park, foot of Ferry Street,
Martinez, CA. Free parking is available, and the grounds are open for
picnicking at 6 p.m.
The orchestra’s program will consist of
three works, including the world premiere of “American Hymn” by
Nancy Bloomer Deussen; selections from Aaron Copland’s “Suite from
Billy the Kid”; and the west coast premiere of Craig Bohmler’s
“Sacagawea Symphonic Suite,” with lyrics by Mary Bracken Phillips,
featuring Natalie Amaya as the Lewis and Clark expedition’s Shoshone
Indian guide Sacagawea, Jonathan Spencer as Meriwether Lewis, and
Russell Ferracane as William Clark, heading a cast of 16.
The Diablo Symphony is no stranger to the
concept of unique spirit. They are one of the few orchestras that have the
distinction of being led by a female conductor. Joyce Johnson-Hamilton
has spent 25 years as music director and conductor. She is a member of the
applied music faculty at Stanford University and teaches trumpet students
privately in her home. She has been a frequent guest conductor, trumpet
soloist, and orchestral arranger with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since
1983 and has also served as conductor and music director for San Jose Dance
Theatre, the Napa Valley Symphony, the Sinfonia of Northern California, and
the San Jose State University Orchestra. Her conducting career began in
1972, when she was appointed assistant conductor of the Oakland Symphony
Orchestra.
Maestra Johnson-Hamilton will have the
pleasure of conducting not only “Billy the Kid” at the Summer
Festival but also the world premiere of “American Hymn,” written by
San Francisco Bay Area composer Nancy Bloomer Deussen. Ms. Bloomer Deussen
began composing in the 1950s, drawing her inspiration from the beauty in
nature and her earliest works reflect this. More recently, she has
identified with the environmental movement as she has gradually come to
realize that all human life depends upon how well we preserve our precious
natural resources -- a sentiment in keeping with a festival named for John
Muir. Ms. Bloomer Deussen initially was asked by her publisher to compose
an orchestral work for Christmas but after much thought she decided that
particular holiday had enough wonderful carols. She was inspired instead to
compose a patriotic piece in honor of our country. The result is “American
Hymn.”
“It is a stately march that builds in
intensity to the final jubilant ending,” she says. “I was very moved while
composing the piece and have asked the publisher to write on the score ‘In
appreciation of how fortunate I am to be a citizen of this great nation.’”
Ms. Bloomer Deussen is the co-founder of the National Association of
Composers Bay Area Chapter and currently serves as its president emeritus.
The second half of Celebrate
Independence! will feature a 100-voice young people’s chorus
performing Our Flag Was Still There -- a patriotic musical
that celebrates our nation’s pride, our rich heritage and faith, and the
symbolism of our flag, created by Deborah Craig-Claar & David T.
Clydesdale, arranged & orchestrated by Mr. Clydesdale. Our Flag
Was Still There will be accompanied by a large-screen video
projection including inspiring testimonies from military veterans and
naturalized citizens, as well as actual footage of the Iwo Jima flag-raising
and more, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display to the rousing
strains of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Richard
Elliott, Willows Theatre Company Artistic Director, will stage the
event, with musical direction by Ken Abrams, president of the
Northern California Music Educators Association.
Mr. Abrams is now in his 21st year as choral
director at San Ramon Valley High School. He has been described as intense,
demanding, and passionate. A graduate of California State University at
Hayward, he majored in vocal performance and graduated with honors. He
received his master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of
Illinois in 1990.
The past couple of years have really been a
whirlwind for Mr. Abrams and the choral program at SRVHS. In the spring of
2001, his Concert Choir won first place at the prestigious ACDA Northern
California Golden State Choral Festival. The SRVHS Chamber Singers won first
place at the same event in 2002. During the holiday season, the choirs
perform at over 50 parties and gatherings in the greater San Ramon Valley.
And in 1996, he was selected as "Teacher of the Year" for the San Ramon
Valley Unified School District. Last year, he was again selected as “Teacher
of the Year” by the Rotary Club.
Mr. Abrams is a sought-after clinician and
has been the guest conductor for the following school districts: Mt. Diablo,
Fremont, Hayward, El Dorado, and Solano Community College. In addition to
his duties at San Ramon Valley High School, Mr. Abrams is also the artistic
director of the Danville Girls Chorus, a community children’s choir with
over 150 singers.
