The Canton Symphony Orchestra Presents BAROQUE BASH Concert with Featured Guest Erin Cooper Gay Tonight

It's 1732 and Europe has a problem. Who better to bring it to a level of social consciousness than one of the greatest composers of all time - Johann Sebastian Bach? The issue is ... coffee addiction!

Bach must have had a crystal ball looking into the 21st century, where coffee shops are on every corner and office water cooler conversations have turned to coffee station gossip. For he composed one of the most satirical commentaries of his day: the "Coffee Cantata." The cantata features lines such as, "If I can't drink my bowl of coffee three times daily, then in my torment, I will shrivel up like a piece of roast goat," and "Coffee, I must have coffee, if anyone wants to give me a treat, ah!, just give me some coffee."

The Canton Symphony Orchestra's concert tonight, November 3 (Sunday at 7:30pm; Umstattd Hall at McKinley High School) concert features Bach's java-stück and several other well-known Baroque pieces including Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary, Handel's Water Music, and Pachelbel's Canon in D. "Most individuals are familiar with these songs from weddings, but the orchestra performs these pieces at a whole different level," commented Michelle Mullaly, Executive Director of the orchestra.

Erin Cooper Gay is the featured guest artist of the evening. A former principal French horn of the Canton Symphony Orchestra for 8 years, she returns as a world-renown soprano. A "dual threat" musician, she toured Europe with Bernard Labadie's Violons du Roy on French horn and then sang in his Chapelle de Quèbec show, performingMessiah and Bach's St. John Passion, the latter tour finishing at Carnegie Hall.
Gay will be featured in the concert on Handel's Lascia ch'oi pianga and Let the Bright Seraphim, and also the aforementioned Bach "Coffee Cantata."

Continuing its legacy as one of the premiere orchestras in the country, performing world-class music with world-class guest artists, the evening lineup also includes Handel's Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon, Arcangelo Corelli's Concerto Grosso, and Vivaldi's In furore iustissimae irae.

Tickets for the concert range from $25-$45. There are senior, student and group discounts available. Dress is casual and the concert is appropriate for ages 8 and older. Tickets and the full concert season schedule are available online atwww.CantonSymphony.org, by calling 330-452-2094, at the box office window located inside the Cultural Center for the Arts (weekdays 10am-2pm), or by walk-up.

The orchestra has also implemented "Student Rush" pricing this year. Beginning one hour prior to any MasterWorks concert, students may purchase any available ticket for only $10 when they show a valid student ID at the Box Office.

Founded in 1937, the Canton Symphony Orchestra is a fully professional ensemble and organization dedicated to performing concerts that enrich, educate and entertain. Under the direction of Gerhardt Zimmermann, the orchestra performs classical, pops, holiday, and educational programs. Most performances are in Umstattd Performing Arts Hall, 2323 17th Street NW, Canton, Ohio (at McKinley High School across from C.T. Branin Natatorium). Parking at McKinley High School is free. For more information, please visit www.CantonSymphony.org.

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