Ode to Joy: The Countdown Has Begun!

Get Ready for B9!

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is epic in both size and scope. It’s also a challenging piece for both singers and orchestral musicians alike.

Singers might wait until the fourth movement to sing, but once they start, the piece requires significant vocal stamina. Orchestra members have long passages with barely a chance to sneak in a breath. Like marathon runners, musicians have to build up endurance to make it to the end of this symphony. Think of it as a musician’s Olympics.

One orchestra member shared her strategy for conquering B9: practice difficult passages one day; play through the entire symphony the next. Repeat until January 19.

The finishing line is drawing near! January 19, The James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, 4 pm.

Meantime, we’ve gathered other large-scale favorites from LFCO board and B9 committee members for your enjoyment. Here are 9 other favorites to warm up with ahead of our performance of the epic Beethoven Symphony No 9:

Howie, board president: Brahms’ Symphony No. 2

Andrea, secretary and personnel manager: Theme from Jurassic Park by John Williams

LoriLee, treasurer: Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem

Charles, music librarian and logistics: Turandot by Giacomo Puccini

Nancy, ticket manager and B9 project manager: The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughn Williams

Diane, assistant music librarian: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello by Johannes Brahms

Laurie, fundraising, public relations and marketing: Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber

Sam, member-at-large: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7

Joe, B9 committee member: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5

Bonus entry: Melinda, B9 committee member: Romeo and Juliet (ballet music) by Sergei Prokofiev

The Lake Forest Civic Orchestra invites you to Be a Part of B9!