MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
By Bill HarrisThe fall of 1954 was the first full season for the orchestra, which was formed a year after the founding of the Kingston Choral Society.
Their first performance was - I am sure you can guess - Handel's Messiah in November under the baton of Graham George. The soloists included Maureen Forrester and Jon Vickers, who were then just beginning their careers. The performance took place at St. George's Cathedral.
I am indebted to Malcolm Williams for this information. It was published in The Kingston Symphony 1954-2004, which he wrote for the organization's 50th birthday.
And we are all indebted to our music director, Glen Fast, for the opportunity once again to enjoy the Messiah, this time at the Kingston Gospel Temple on Dec. 5. This will be a highlight of the 15 orchestra performances we are offering this season.
This is Glen's 20th season as music director, which is quite long for a conductor to lead an orchestra.
But Kingston's orchestra is no ordinary orchestra, as I discovered when I joined the KSA board of directors nine years ago. For a community the size of Kingston, to be able to support an orchestra for an uninterrupted 56 years is a major achievement. Thank you, Glen, for your support and leadership over the past two decades.
Janina Fialkowska will perform at our first concert on Oct. 3. For my wife Beverley and me, Janina is a special person. She performed Beethoven's 5th piano concerto at our first Kingston Symphony concert, which we attended in 2001. Janina has always made herself available for performances in smaller venues in Canada. In the Kingston area, in addition to the 2005 performance with the KSO, she also performed numerous times at the Waterside Summer Series on Amherst Island (how small can you get?), which Bev and I organize every summer. Last summer, Janina gave a recital at the Thousand Islands Playhouse with host Eric Friesen.
This season Janina and Glen can be enjoyed together - only at the Kingston Symphony!
Bill Harris is president of the Kingston Symphony Association.
