Fall 2022 Concert

“Things That Go Bump in the Night”

Sunday, Oct. 30, 3pm

Imagine a community Halloween party with a fun-loving orchestra in the room!  And a mysterious instrument petting zoo, a costume contest, and parade!   Some spooky classics including “Night on Bald Mountain,” “Danse Macabre,” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King” will be performed by the Alliance Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Eric Benjamin.

This program will also feature some new music.  “The Time of Fear” is a seasonal song with music and lyrics composed by Mount Union sophomore Josh Clay.  Josh hails from GlenOak High School in Canton, OH and is majoring in Music with a Concentration in Music Composition. He studies composition with Eric Benjamin. Josh composed this song on his own while still a high school student.  With Eric Benjamin’s assistance, he arranged the work for orchestra and will sing the lead vocal part in this performance.

“Rhapsody on an Astral Theme” by Mount Union faculty member Eric Benjamin will feature Emeritus Professor of Music Dr. James Perone as a soloist on the theremin.  The theremin is an electronic instrument invented in the early 20^th century that was featured in everything from horror film and science fiction soundtracks to the Beach Boys hit “Good Vibrations.”   Dr. Perone will be on hand for a “Theremin Petting Zoo” at intermission and briefly after the concert.

A highlight of the program will be a concert work by Los Angeles-based composer Gregory Smith.  Smith, a native of Salem, Ohio who studied at Youngstown State, has established himself as a composer of music for film and television, and composed the music that accompanies activities at Disney theme parks. “A Major–minor Mystery” is one of Smith’s popular compositions for orchestral educational concerts.  Smith himself will appear in performance with the Alliance Symphony to narrate the mysterious tale that traces the difference between major and minor harmony – told as a humorous “who dunnit.”    “It’s immensely clever and is full of atmosphere that is just right for a concert like this, while also teaching a lesson in a fun way” says conductor Eric Benjamin.

The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. in the University of Mount Union’s Brush Performance Hall in the Giese Center for Performing Arts. Audience and orchestra members are urged to get in the spirit of the program and don a costume. The costume contest will be held during intermission and will be judged by Sarah Russell, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Mount Union. Categories for the costume contest are Best Overall Costume (Adult), Best Overall Costume (Child), Scariest Costume, Funniest Costume, Most Creative Costume, Best Homemade Costume, and Best Pair or Group Costume.

Tickets will be available beginning on September 30 at https://www.mountunion.edu/box-office. Tickets for adults are $15, seniors and veterans are $12, and students with ID and children are free.