So far more than 12,000 people tuned in to the new HomeStream Your Helena Symphony presented by AARP Montana LIVE on YouTube, including audiences from throughout Montana, the United States, Asia, South America, and Europe.
The Helena Symphony continues its live broadcasts on YouTube MONDAY, December 7, at 7:30 p.m. with the annual Christmas in the Cathedral. Tune in and experience your Helena Symphony Chorale.
“It’s time to celebrate the healing power of music,” explains Music Director Allan R. Scott. “We are not trying to duplicate or replicate the concert hall experience but innovate the experience of our music-making. The Helena Symphony was created for these very difficult times. Our music-making exists to literally save lives and to promote the spiritual and emotional well-being of our people. Despite the very different format, we will strive to continue to make lives better through music.” The Symphony live broadcasts continue to comply with health officials and the Governor’s mandates, as there will be about 45 members of the Helena Symphony Chorale performing with the newly designed singer’s mask, and all performers will be at least six feet apart. The performance features Helena Symphony Principal Cello Linda Kuhn, Principal Harp Tess Flammond, and the return of Principal Organ, British Organist Matthew O’Sullivan.
The Helena Symphony announced a revised 2020-2021 Season – Season 66 – Part One: Reimagined and Streaming ONline. Branded as “It’s ON!” the Helena Symphony is proud to bring music to the community and throughout the state. Following months of collaboration with the County health officials and reviewing international studies on the impacts of instrumental performance and singing, we decided that offering a livestream into people’s homes is the ideal way to bring our music-making into the lives of our community in an innovative and safe way.
Christmas in the Cathedral
“The Christmas and special holiday season truly begin in Helena with the Symphony’s Christmas in the Cathedral,” explains Director of Patron Services Scott Kall. “This special performance has taken place every year for nearly 50 Seasons of the Helena Symphony, and we excited to bring the unique magic, and artistic and spiritual brilliance of the Cathedral into the homes of thousands of people around the world.”
In addition to well-known Christmas works, the Chorale will also perform works by living composers such as Kim André Arnesen’s What is Peace? and Even When He is Silent. “The performance focuses on the humanity of the Christmas story, as well as how our world is in a place of stillness and healing right now,” explains Maestro Allan R. Scott. “After a year of uncertainty, social unrest, political anxiety, and coping with the pandemic in nearly every aspect of our lives, music addresses these things and offers hope, consolation, and reflection on not only who we are, but who we want to be as a community.”
The concert also includes a new work composed by the Helena Symphony’s recent Composer in Residence Kile Smith. Mr. Smith sets the texts from The Star-Spangled Banner to an incredible way of hear these powerful words. Known for its use in the American National Anthem, these are “the only words of a national anthem that ask a question: ‘is our flag still there?’,” says Kile Smith. This new setting of these words allow us to truly reflect on this past year, and offers some answers and more questions.
The concert is bookended by audience favorites – Carol of the Bells and a special arrangement of Silent Night featuring acclaimed organist Matthew O’Sullivan, who was recently appointed as organist at the Cathedral.
This is a concert perfect for the whole family on a Monday winter evening and is about one hour in duration.
HomeStream Your Helena Symphony presented by AARP Montana
The Helena Symphony is especially grateful to AARP Montana, who secured the naming rights to the new HomeStream Your Helena Symphony. “AARP Montana is so excited to help bring the artistic excellence of the Helena Symphony’s music-making to people in the safety of their homes,” says Tim Summers, State Director of AARP Montana.
How? YouTube.com/HelenaSymphony
These live streams can be viewed on a smart phone, tablet, laptop and desktop computers, smart televisions, and televisions connected to the internet – or anywhere you have access to YouTube. Most televisions offer YouTube as an app or can be attached to another computing device to watch on the big screen. While nothing can replace the experience of attending a live performance, we feel that the live stream offers new and exciting way to enjoy a concert. Each stream will be shot by 6-7 cameras and the camera crew will be able to operate within the Orchestra, offering close-up shots of musicians and soloists, front-side views of Maestro Scott, and visuals that are not possible by sitting in the auditorium. We are excited to present the Helena Symphony in a more personal, up-close manner.
There is no charge for the HomeStream Your Helena Symphony presented by AARP Montana, which will be available on YouTube, the Helena Symphony’s website, and the Symphony’s Facebook page. There will be an option available online to make a donation to the Helena Symphony.