Saturday, October 27 the Toe River Chamber Ensemble presents their Annual Fall Concert at 7 pm at the First Baptist Church on the Burnsville Square. Admission is Free.

Local musicians gather weekly to rehearse and play music – from classical, contemporary to broadway show tunes. The group calls themselves the Toe River Chamber Ensemble and consists of local musicians of all ages from 10 to 85 who meet weekly to rehearse and perform.

The twenty or so musicians live in Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery counties come from all professions and interests: farmers, doctors, teachers, construction workers, artists, lab technicians, students, and some retired. But, mostly they come together because they enjoy playing and are passionate about their music. Bill Wilkes is their director.

The Fall concert consists of numerous works including the “Egmont Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven, which is a from a set of incidental music pieces that was made for the 1787 play of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Beethoven wrote this piece between October 1809 and June 1810, and it premiered on 15 June 1810. The subject of the music is the history and the heroism of the Count of Egmont. “In the music Beethoven expressed his own political concerns, particularly the heroic exaltation of the sacrifice of a man condemned to death by having taken a strong stand against oppression.” The overture, powerful and highly expressive has become one of his most famous a compositions.

Another piece the orchestra will perform is “Prairie Night and Celebration Dance” written in 1939 by Aaron Copland. This piece was written as a part of a ballet piece titled “Billy the Kid,” that incorporated cowboy tunes and American Folk songs into a work that focused on the infamous American outlaw.
The orchestra explores several genres by including impressionist Claude Debussy’s “Petite Suite,” originally written for four hands piano, but re-written for orchestra. Debussy was among the most important of all French composers and also a central figure in all European music at the turn of thetwentieth century.

Other pieces to be performed include “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by W.A. Mozart, “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saens, and George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” The concert is the fruit of many of hours of rehearsal and pleasure, and one not to be missed.

Though there is not an admission, donations are greatly appreciated and benefit the music program of the Toe River Arts Council. In addition, the Toe River Chamber Ensemble receives support from the Toe River Arts Council with a Grassroots Art Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency. For more information contact the Toe River Arts Council at 828-682-7215 or 828-765-0520.