Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra ends 2010-2011 season Tuesday

The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra joins forces with the Southeast University Choir and Choral Union on Tuesday to perform John Rutter's "Requiem" as it concludes the 2010-2011 concert season.

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus.

Called "one of the best-loved and most widely performed choral works of the 20th century" by Oxford University Press, "Requiem" was composed in 1985.

Symphony conductor Dr. Sara Edgerton said "the beautiful 'Requiem' by Rutter will provide an inspiring, transcendent mood for the final work on the program."

"Requiem," which was composed for full orchestra and choir, features lyrics in both English and Latin.

In contrast with the serenity of "Requiem," the concert opens with "Spitfire" Prelude and Fugue by British composer William Walton.

Composed originally for the 1942 World War II film "Spitfire," the piece begins with a rousing fanfare, followed by a stirring march.

After the orchestra performs the final movement of Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, the first half of the program will conclude with the first movement of Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by noted Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Edgerton said variety makes for an enjoyable concert, comparing it to a meal.

"When you order up a meal, you don't want it all to be french fried," Edgerton said. "You want to have some contrasts in the flavors and textures."

Tuesday concert also will spotlight two award-winning young musicians who recently won music competitions held by the university.

Ethan Flood, a junior saxophonist who is pursuing both music education and music performance degrees at Southeast, was the winner of the concerto and aria competition in November. He will perform as soloist on the Mozart selection, the same piece he performed for the competition.

The first winner of Southeast's new pre-collegiate "Rising Star" competition, violinist Stephanie Zyzak of Chicago, will be featured as soloist on the Sibelius performance, which she played for the competition in February.

Dr. Robert Fruehwald of the Southeast music department will give a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall.