February 4, 2025

Winterlude 2025 is now in the books. This Lansing Symphony series has been a great joy from many perspectives.
 
Just to begin with the most important item, the music, the Winterlude series has allowed us to explore and present many musical experiences which we would not have been able to do otherwise. Winterlude 1.0, in 2023, featured two Bach cantatas and two of Mendelssohn’s string symphonies. Winterlude 2.0, was a brass, percussion and organ extravaganza of music spanning 500 years. This year’s program featured our extraordinary wind section in music of the past and present. Not only is the repertoire itself exciting, but creating these opportunities for our players to interact with each other in this different, non-symphonic, way is a pleasure to witness and behold.
 
Another part of that joy is our community collaboration with the wonderful people of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and their Rector Karen Lewis. The sanctuary of their church is a feast for the senses. The acoustics are generous, warm and resonant, and the art and architecture fill a person with inspiration and wonder. It is an ideal setting for this concert series.
 
The audience brings us joy as well.  This concert is free, thanks to the church who sponsors the whole event, and it is in downtown Lansing. As a result, we see many new people for these programs. Yes, some of our die-hards are there, but there has been a good showing of new acquaintances as well, and a healthy showing at that. We have had consistently excellent houses for these concerts, and enthusiastic ones at that!
 
I want to come back to the music again, just to wrap up. The main work on our program Sunday was Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 aka “Gran Partita” (he didn’t call it that btw)…talk about remarkable things in unassuming packages. In Mozart’s day the serenades, the divertimenti, the partitas were all basically party music. No one was expecting much in these works compared to works called symphony, sonata, or string quartet, and especially works for wind band (no offense) whose instruments of the day were not always so reliable.  Mozart, however, far exceeded all expectations in this serenade. Every moment of this work is sublime--exquisite and distinctive in character, color, and atmosphere. Nuance carries the day.
 
Also, a shout out to composer David Biedenbender who’s work Kyrie (for Machaut and Pärt) brought down the house in a quiet, subdued and introspective way, a contemplative emotional implosion of sorts. The best possible kind.
 
NEXT UP:
 
February 8, 2025
 
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Jeans and Classics
THE MUSIC OF QUEEN
 
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
East Lansing, Michigan
7:30 p.m.
 
 
#DavidBiedenbender #LansingSymphony #LansingStPaul’sEpiscopal