San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra "All Fired Up" About Fall Concerts

Online, October 25, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra today announced the dates and locations of performances of their fall season concert series, "Fire!" - a name that took on special meaning when an actual fire broke out less than a block from the orchestra's Mission district rehearsal venue in August.

The dates and times for the Fire concerts are:

Sunday, November 4, 4pm at All Souls Episcopal Parish, 2220 Cedar Street, Berkeley
Sunday, November 11, 4pm at First Church of Christ Scientist, 522 "B" St., Petaluma
Sunday, November 18th, 4pm at Mission Dolores Basilica, 3321 16th St., San Francisco

The season's repertoire offers an exciting array of fire-themed works, including Stravinsky's Firebird and Handel's Music for Royal Fireworks, both for full orchestras; and DeFalla's hot-blooded Ritual Fire Dance. A movement of Rodrigo's concerto, Fantasia para un Gentilhombre, provides a calming influence, filled with delightfully complicated Spanish rhythms played by Sam Gutterman on guitar with mandolin orchestra accompaniment. Also featured are Bartok's rousing Roumanian Dances, including a mandolin solo by Tony Kaye, the spicy Zortzico, by Albeniz, and the sensual Intermezzo, a piece specially composed for mandolin orchestra by the celebrated Neapolitan composer, Calace.

"This is our most exciting concert season yet," commented orchestra conductor, Achille Bocus. "With this program, we wanted to show both the technical possibilities and the passionate expression that a mandolin orchestra can achieve. Our audiences will be thrilled by Fire!"

The orchestra's rehearsal season certainly began with a thrill in August, when a real fire erupted less than a block away. "We were halfway through DeFalla's Ritual Fire Dance when we started smelling smoke and hearing sirens," said mandolinist Theresa DiFalco. The orchestra kept playing, finishing its rehearsal just as police and fire crews began to evacuate the block. "It was pretty scary having to duck under police tape to get home," said DiFalco. "We were all very relieved that no one was injured in the fire."

The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra is a plucked-string orchestra featuring mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello, guitar, and bass. The orchestra, a San Francisco
fixture since 2005, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. More information about the orchestra can be found at www.sfmandolin.org.

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