orchestra

11 ‘Game of Thrones’ Theme Covers Including a Ukulele, Mariachis, and a Dog

April 12, 2013

Think you’ve seen every possible kind of Game of Thrones theme cover? Well, think again. Here are 11 videos of covers featuring all sorts of musicians performing the song including a full orchestra, a ukulele, a mariachi band, and even a dog (and if these aren’t enough for you, then check out my post from [...]

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Stravinsky goes ‘Gangnam Style’

January 3, 2013

I pride myself on being one of the only people in the universe who has not seen 2012′s viral music video, PSY’s “Gangnam Style“. But when the Violin Channel’s Facebook page shared a video clip of “Gangnam Style” set to the “Sacrificial Dance” from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, I couldn’t resist watching it. Stravinsky’s [...]

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Sepultura Collaborates with Orchestra to Raise Awareness about Endangered Brazilwood

April 15, 2011

Brazilian extreme metal band Sepultura will perform with Brazil’s Orquestra Experimental de Repertório to bring attention to the plight of brazilwood, which is in danger of extinction due to its popularity as a material for violin bows and other stringed instruments. According to a post on Noisecreep.com, the two unlikely partners will be playing a [...]

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Concert Review: Baroque Band’s “Hell’s Angels: Masters of the Violin”

October 13, 2010

The Baroque Band, founded in 2007 by British Baroque violinist Garry Clarke, is Chicago’s critically acclaimed period instrument orchestra. Contrapuntist and I attended one of their concerts for the first time this past Saturday, October 9. After hearing their performance, we now know what the buzz is about. The band’s 14 musicians breathe energy into [...]

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Chicago’s Baroque Band Invites Audiences on a Musical Journey through Heaven and Hell with Their Four-Concert Series, Angels & Demons

September 1, 2010

The Baroque Band, Chicago’s period instrument ensemble, is offering a special four-concert subscription series for their 2010-2011 season. The series, entitled Angels & Demons, includes innovative programming which features “hellishly” difficult music by Arcangelo Corelli and “angelic” music from the court of English monarch Charles II. A subscription to all four concerts can be purchased [...]

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Album review: Sting’s Symphonicities

August 18, 2010

Symphonicities is billed as 12 Sting songs which have not simply been rearranged but fully reimagined in orchestral terms. Some rock music turns into saccharine elevator music when arranged for an orchestra. However, that is not the case with this album. Sting’s songs and voice fit organically with the arrangement, and many of the songs [...]

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The Orchestral Experience-When It’s Good, It’s Very Good, and When It’s Not, It’s…

September 8, 2009

While browsing the Comcast home page a few weeks ago, I came across this video about The Really Terrible Orchestra. I looked at their website, and part of their mission statement struck me: It began with our envying the pleasure our children gained from music. And as nobody else would have us, we formed our [...]

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CSO Goes Jazzical And Gets Scorched: Part I

May 27, 2009

Jazz is only a word and has no meaning . . . I don’t know how such great extremes as now exist can be contained under the one heading ~ Duke Ellington Ok, well the Chicago Symphony Orchestra didn’t get scorched in the literal sense, but it was an evening filled with Jazz inspired classical [...]

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YouTube Orchestra At Last Performs

April 15, 2009

Tonight YouTube made a little history. The YouTube Orchestra held its inaugural performance at Carnegie Hall. If only I lived in New York.. I don’t, I live in Chicago and I love it. I just wished I could’ve experience something incredibly unique this evening. Perhaps the next one can be hosted in Chicago. Of course, [...]

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Youtube goes Symphonic

December 5, 2008

As a marketer, I always hear social media gurus chatting about how businesses should be used for business…blah blah blah. If social media is social, then an even larger question is: how it social media help to progress society? Yesterday, I was happily surprised that YouTube is kicked up a notch by supporting the arts, [...]