Women's Orchestra of Arizona to perform free Celtic concert

The Women’s Orchestra of Arizona (WOA) is hosting a free Celtic-themed concert Sunday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m. at the North Scottsdale United Methodist Church.

Offering four free concerts every year, the WOA is a nonprofit organization that seeks to create a platform to empower women and female musicians, soloists, composers and conductors to showcase their talents in a supportive environment.

The music

“The Green Muse” is the title of the Sept. 29 concert that features three pieces by two Irish composers and one Scottish composer.

The first piece is Ina Boyle’s Symphony No. 1, titled “Glencree.” Composed in 1927, it features three movements that conjure imagery of Ireland’s natural beauty, reflecting the composer’s connection to the Irish landscape.

The second piece is Joan Trimble’s Suite for Strings. Composed in 1951, the suite consists of three movements that showcase Trimble’s ability to blend traditional Irish influence with classical string writing.

The final piece is the American premiere of new work by Scottish composer and arranger John Glenesk Mortimer called St. Andrew Concerto.

Inspired by Scottish themes and traditions, The St. Andrew Concerto is a composition dedicated to the work of the St. Andrew Orchestra of Edinburgh that began in 1878, making it the oldest amateur orchestra in Scotland. Mortimer conducted the orchestra for 17 years.

In 2023, WOA’s Associate Conductor Cindy H. Petty had the honor of taking the Oregon Arts Orchestra to perform in Ireland and Scotland where she shared a stage alongside the St. Andrew Orchestra which performed the St. Andrew Concerto.

Following the concert, Mortimer presented Petty with a set of original parts with the hopes of it being premiered in America. On Sept. 29, Mortimer’s piece will be presented for the first time for a U.S. audience.

“(Mortimer) wanted a recording and so we’re going to record our concert so he has a live recording of his piece,” said Laura Strickland, second chair flutist for the WOA who will perform  Sunday, Sept. 29.

New concert venue

In previous years, the WOA performed at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Paradise Valley, which was recently planned for demolition to make way for new housing developments.

For this reason, the WOA moved its concerts to the North Scottsdale United Methodist Church which Strickland says has excellent sound dynamics.

“Every venue has different acoustics obviously but we’re really excited about this one because the blend and the basic sonority is very nice in the new space,” Strickland said, who has performed with WOA since it added a wind section a few years ago.

When Strickland is not playing flute for the WOA, she plays in an award-winning professional flute and guitar duo called SoSco Duo , performing music for clients around the state.

For those interested in attending the concert, Strickland says it can be enlightening to listen to a new, nonstandard repertoire.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for audiences to hear other powerful, inspirational music that they haven’t heard before and get exposed to something different that’s still really moving,” Strickland said.

The next WOA concert is its annual Messiah Concert held Sunday, Nov. 24, at the same venue.

Admission is by donation and VIP tickets are available for $10 or free for veterans which offers seats directly in front of the orchestra.

Donations go toward renting the space, purchasing the scores and ensuring the WOA can provide free orchestral music to the community at no cost for years to come.

For tickets or more information, send an email to woa@womensorchestraarizona.com or visit events.humanitix.com/green-muse-free-concert-by-the-women-s-orchestra-of-Arizona .

North Scottsdale United Methodist Church is located at 11735 N. Scottsdale Rd.

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