April begins with a touch of humor on this week’s edition of “A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection,” airing Wednesday evening at 9:00 on WHRO-FM with Raymond Jones as the program master.
Since the program falls on April 1st, listeners can expect a bit of playful musical mischief personally selected by Raymond Jones. The fun begins with the delightfully absurd music of P.D.Q. Bach, the satirical alter ego of composer and humorist Peter Schickele. We’ll hear “Music for an Awful Lot of Winds & Percussion,” recorded many moons ago at the Chrysler Hall, and performed by the Turtle Mountain Naval Base Tactical Wind Ensemble under Professor Schickele himself.
The spirit of lightheartedness continues with a buoyant performance of “Jupiter” from Gustav Holst’s beloved suite “The Planets,” played by the American Youth Harp Ensemble. Then comes a particularly entertaining take on Sergei Prokofiev’s classic children’s tale “Peter and the Wolf,” performed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra under JoAnn Falletta and featuring narration by several familiar voices from NPR, including Peter Sagal, Susan Stamberg, Sylvia Poggioli, and Mara Liasson.
Springtime energy also finds its way into the program with a striking transcription of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” performed by the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band from Langley, under the direction of Lowell Graham.
And in this week’s “Heifetz on Air” segment from the International Music Institute in Staunton, an episode titled “Rites of Spring” that celebrates the sights, sounds, and surprises of the season. The program features a refreshing take on Antonio Vivaldi’s famous “Spring” with violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, along with music inspired by the season from Stravinsky and Mendelssohn.
Tune in this Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, or listen online, for three hours of spring music with a Virginia connection on “A Local Touch.”
