by Sylene Argent
With summer in full swing, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) has been hosting free summer concerts across the region as a way to bring music into communities and connect with individuals who may not be able to attend a concert in Windsor. The series also helps to bring attention to the local parks or museums from which the WSO plays, and hopefully attract a few new followers and fans.
As part of the 2019 free summer concert series, the WSO’s Wind Quintet played an hour-long concert at Colchester Park on Friday evening, then doubled back to play at the John R. Park Homestead on Saturday afternoon.
Faith Scholfield is employed by the WSO as an Oboe player. She joined Liesel Deppe (flute), Graham Lord (clarinet), Samuel Fraser (bassoon), and Iris Krizmanic (French horn) on stage to host the concert on Saturday.
Scholfield said the Quintet planned an array of tunes to play for the concert that would likely catch the interest of anyone in attendance. The group selected a couple of tunes that would be easily recognizable to some of the younger concert attendee, such as the theme songs to “The Incredibles” and “Harry Potter,” in addition to a few classical favourites that they hoped the concert-goers would like whether or not they were familiar with this genre of music.
“We like to play a little bit of something for everyone,” she said. “We talk to the crowd about why we chose these particular songs in between each piece.”
When organizing a show, the musicians try to play things they believe their audience will want to hear, and expose them to something new, too.
Scholfield has been with the WSO since September of 2004. She said she loves performing and learning with a great group of people.
The WSO, she said, does a lot within the community, which included nearly 25 elementary school visits last year, playing for around 10,000 youths at the Capital Theatre, and making many visits to senior homes and respite centres.
As a “Queen” fan, Scholfield is particularly eager for the January 31, 2020 show, which will feature music from the famous British rock band, in addition to the American great, “Journey.”
For more information about upcoming WSO shows, log onto www.windsorsymphony.com/