Posted May 6, 2022
DAYTON, OH (May 4, 2022) – The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO), under the leadership and direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, is thrilled to announce the return of its Stained Class Concert Series, celebrating the human spirit in the Dayton community through the universal medium of music. These concerts will take place in local Dayton community churches, and they are free and open to the public with no tickets required.
The Dayton Philharmonic’s Stained Glass Concerts are part of a series of community outreach efforts called the Norma Ross Memorial Community Concerts in honor of the late Mrs. Norma Ross, a tireless advocate for music and minority youth.
The 2021‒2022 Stained Glass Series and Norma Ross Memorial Community Concerts are made possible by the Bob Ross Auto Group. The Stained Glass Concerts for the 2021‒2022 season are also made possible by support from the World Religion Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Judy and Mike Kreutzer.
The Dayton Philharmonic announces the following schedule for the 2021‒2022 Stained Glass Concert Series concert:
- Sunday, June 5, 2022, 5:00 p.m. at The Inspiration Church, 2900 Philadelphia Drive, Dayton, OH 45405
- Sunday, June 12, 2022, 5:00 p.m. at Omega Baptist Church, 1821 Emerson Ave., Dayton, OH 45406
- Sunday, June 19, 2022, 5:00 p.m. at New Season Ministry, 5711 Shull Rd., Huber Heights, OH 45424
The program for this year’s concerts will feature Haydn’s Symphony No. 96, written in 1793 and technically the first of Haydn’s twelve powerful London Symphonies to be written, although occurring fourth in numerical order of these famed works. Symphony No. 96 is known as the “Miracle” Symphony, because as the legend goes, Haydn himself was conducting a performance of the symphony in London in 1795 when an ornate chandelier came crashing down from above into the theater. Because the audience members in attendance had all pushed forward to get a closer view of Haydn conducting, the section of the seating where the chandelier had fallen was fortuitously empty, so no one was injured in the mayhem—a miracle, indeed!
The afternoon will also include a work entitled African Dolls by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery, written as a suite of dances, each representing a separate traditional children’s doll. “The piece is influenced by west African drumming patterns and lyrical chant motives, all of which feature highlights of improvisation within the ensemble,” said Montgomery, describing his composition.
As part of the DPO’s celebration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the birth of Dayton-born poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin will recite selected poems from Dunbar’s collection at each concert. Additionally, Dayton singer Felita LaRock will join the DPO for the June 19 concert at New Season Ministry.
To close the concert, the Dayton Philharmonic will be joined by the choir of each church for a joyous and uplifting ending to the afternoon performance.
The Dayton Philharmonic and the community churches of the Stained Glass Concert Series wish to extend an open invitation to the community of Dayton to enjoy a celebratory afternoon when classical and gospel music come together to unite our Dayton community.
For more information on the 2021‒2022 Stained Glass Series, visit https://daytonperformingarts.org/philharmonic/stained-glass-series/.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community’s indispensable source for traditional, diverse and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. The vision of the DPAA is to transform lives through the power of music and dance. The DPAA offers a wide variety of performance and education programs, setting a new standard for artistic excellence. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and their rich arts education programming serves over 60,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in the Miami Valley. These performances and education initiatives are made possible in part through major support provided by the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, the City of Dayton, Montgomery County and the National Endowment for the Arts.