The Edmonton Pops Orchestra will be performing at the EA Rawlinson Centre in Prince Albert on Mar. 29 at 7:30 p.m. with the theme: Ticket to Hollywood.
Edmonton Pops Orchestra artistic coordinator Michael Clark said whether it’s on a streaming platform or in the theatre, movie scores still bring up strong emotions in audiences. They’re hoping to evoke those thoughts and feelings with their Mar. 29 performance.
“When you hear the music tone of those movies you think back to where you were and what you were doing when you saw it and who you were with and what that made you feel,” Clark said during an interview on Thursday. “We’re hoping to take some of those people … and hopefully we can inspire some of these thoughts and feelings that people feel in the movie theatre or at home in front of their TV.”
The performance will include performances of music from Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Back to the Future, among others.
“It’s a very high energy show,” Clark said. “I would encourage everybody to come to it. We’re really looking forward to coming to Prince Albert.
The March 29 concert is one of two items on the Orchestra’s Prince Albert itinerary. They also have plans in place to host a community workshop that will open on Sunday Mar. 30 at 11 a.m.
The workshop will give local junior and senior high school band students and community music ensembles a chance to work with and learn from Orchestra members.
Clark grew up in a rural Alberta community with a strong band program, so he never lacked musical opportunities. However, he said band students in rural areas don’t always have the same option, which is why the Edmonton Pops Orchestra hosts free workshops when they can.
Clark said Prince Albert is “a very strong music community” but not every stop on their tour has those kinds of opportunities for young musicians. The orchestra hopes to fill that void with their workshops.
“We want to give those students and community members—those people who didn’t or don’t have that opportunity to connect with careers in music—the opportunity to just give them a glimpse of what that might be like,” he explained. “We’re a touring orchestra … so we wanted to give students and community members in areas of Western Canada that are more rural or maybe don’t have the opportunity to connect with professional musicians, the opportunity to connect, ask questions, and discover what a career as a touring musician or playing in an orchestra might be like.”
The March 30 workshop will include have a “top to bottom” look at the preparation that goes into a show like Ticket to Hollywood. The specific will depend on what instrument the students play. Since Ticket to Hollywood includes song and dance as part of its production, there will also be opportunities for vocal and dance students to learn too.
“It kind of spans the gamut,” Clark explained. “They’ll have the opportunity to ask questions. We’ll do a little ‘Q and A’. If they play an instrument, they’ll be able to sit on stage and play with us, and if they sing and they dance or anything like that they’ll be able to connect with our lead vocalists and sing and dance with the orchestra. We want to give the opportunity for them to not just watch us, but do it with us.”
Clark said they get a wide variety of people out for the workshops, but most participants are junior high or high school students. Most are just getting started in their musical careers, but Clark said they are happy to connect with artists of any skill level.
“We cater to all of those people,” he said. “It’s very conversational and very open to all skill levels.”
The workshop begins at 11 a.m. at the EA Rawlinson Centre. Admission is free.
–with files from Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
