Fantasies and Fairy Tales orchestra concerts set Oct. 11-12

Southern Delaware Orchestra will present a program of Fantasies and Fairy Tales at 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, at Sussex Academy in Georgetown. A second performance is set for 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 12, at Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes.

The program comprises a spellbinding journey through some of the most famous and beloved classical works ever written.

Music Director James Allen Anderson will lead the orchestra through a performance that brings these cinematic and legendary stories to life. The concert features selections famously used in Disney's “Fantasia,” including Mussorgsky's chilling "Night on Bald Mountain," Dukas's playful "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and Bach's timeless "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor." The performance also includes Grieg's dramatic "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1," with the iconic "In the Hall of the Mountain King," and Berlioz's intense "March to the Scaffold." The afternoon will also feature Eric Whitacre's evocative work, "October."

"It's a thrill to bring these iconic musical stories to life," said Anderson. "We're not just playing notes; we're summoning ghosts, mischievous apprentices and mythical creatures. Each piece is a vivid scene and an invitation to escape into a world where anything is possible through the power of our orchestra."

This is an ideal event for music lovers, families, and anyone looking for a unique and enchanting way to spend an October afternoon. “It is a program that demonstrates once again what a central part orchestral music plays in each of our lives,” said Stephen Greifer, co-founder and board president. “Jim has chosen pieces that tell vivid stories, and they are stories we know well.”

To learn more, go to sodelo.org.