Christmas Concert

Every year Evergreen Christian Community offers a community concert during the Christmas season and this year the event is tonight, December 11th and tomorrow night, December 12th. These concerts are always special to me as they are a wonderful opportunity to unite family and friends and begin the Holiday season with a reflection on what this time of year is really about. I hope that this year as you are buzzing around from shop to shop, finding the perfect gifts for all the delightful people on your gift list, you'll take a moment to look around you at all the other people doing the same. Take in the warmth of community. Take in what should be joy and excitement as you find the perfect gift and look forward with anticipation to the face of the recipient once you reveal your finding. As you look around, if you don't sense joy but see the looks of frazzled stress and the like, I would encourage you to put a large smile on your face and become an agent of joy and peace. There is nothing like a warm smile to put life into perspective. And if you need a good reason to smile and an opportunity to find your joy and peace for this season I encourage you to come out tonight or tomorrow at 7pm and allow us to impart it to you through the beauty of music.

Joy & Peace,

Seth Winterhalter

Downtown Olympia Event

Make sure to plan on attending our Bonaventure Party in downtown Olympia on Tuesday, October 6th. We will be hosting an evening of food and fun as well as an opportunity to support the Capital Philharmonic. The Bonaventure Shoe store has an incredible inventory of shoes featuring all kinds of styles and fashions. That evening, Bonaventure is donating 10% of every purchase to our organization! We will be using the funds to provide new chairs for our orchestra members as the chairs we currently use were not designed with the musician's posture in mind. We hope you join us for an evening featuring lots of fun and stellar fashion. Even if you're all stocked up on shoes make sure to come down and mingle with the musicians and Music Director Seth Winterhalter. See you there!

2009-2010 Season Opening Concert

It's finally here! The 2009-2010 season opening concert with the Capital Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. It's hard to believe that months of preparation and hard work is finally culminating in our first event of the year. And there's no better way to celebrate this kickoff concert than with a tribute to the men and women who serve our country through their tireless efforts and dedication as members of our Armed Services. Our first concert features a collage of their anthems as well as a moving arrangement of both the Star-Spangled Banner and The Battle Hymn of the Republic. We follow the three opening numbers, which feature the chorus, with a haunting composition by American composer George Walker and the wildly fabulous "American Tribute" by Morton Gould. One takes you on an inward journey of contemplation and thoughtful reflection and the other brings you to your feet as a proud citizen of country that allows us the freedom to pursue our dreams and passions. We open the intermission break with one of my favorite pieces in the 20th century repertoire by one of the most beloved and talented American composers, Aaron Coplands "Fanfare for the Common Man". This piece, featuring a brass choir, embodies the pursuit of the American dream by every citizen, regardless of race, gender, beliefs or the like. We close the evening with Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 which he was commissioned to write while teaching in America as a composition that would spark the creation of the "American Sound". What we end up with is one of the most beloved symphonies in the entire orchestral repertoire. The second movement, featuring a beatiful English Horn solo, takes us on a fabulous journey across the American plains and shows us the caloused hands of the men and women who carved out this country through all of their pain and sorrow and joy and success. The fourth movement is a whirlwhind of activity that, for me, embodies the American spirit. It has an urgency to it that feels like it must accomplish something. Even when it attempts to slow down and hush itself it still has this rushing movement that creates in it a drive and motion for completion of something beyond itself, some form of satisfaction in the achievement of a goal or dream.
I hope you enjoy this evening that we will share together. And if you missed it, please make it the only event you miss with us because together we have too much fun for you to miss out on these inspiring moments.

Zealous Aniticipation,

Seth Winterhalter

The Passing of a Legend

On my way home this evening I heard over my car radio that Erich Kunzel, conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, had died today at the age of 74. Maestro Kunzel had been battling cancer for several months. His influence in the lives of numerous people in the Cincinnati area as well as the entire nation will not soon be forgotten. His work with the CPO included numerous recordings, of which some, were the first to really grab my attention and turn me on towards orchestral music. I will always remember Erich's flare for audience engagement, his passion for not only music but the entire experience that the audience would embark on at his concerts and for his passion for the next generation of musicians. Well done Erich. Now I hope that we can carry the torch.

Fondly,

Seth Winterhalter

Welcome

Welcome to the Capital Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus official blog page. This will be a place to receive inside information about upcoming concerts, whether it be a deeper look into some of the music we'll be performing or maybe a few insider secrets about what might be in store for the audience. It will also be a place to find out what else is going on in the South Sound area, artistically and the like. Possibly, there may also be some great conversation about topics including inspiration, greatness and building up our local communities. Our purpose as the Capital Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus is to use our talents and skills to inspire you to greatness in your own life and by that, strengthen our local communities, having a ripple effect across the nation. Our hope is that we inspire each other, offering opportunities for all individuals to use their own specific talents and skills to make a positive impact in our surrounding communities. We look forward to seeing you at our various concerts and events this season and make sure to stick around afterwards and say "hi"!

The Capital Phil Staff

www. capitalphil.com