Autumn welcomes a new season of cultural experiences as the Southern Crescent Symphony Orchestra (SCSO) presents a program of Russian masterpieces.

Conducted by Dr. Richard Bell, the emotionally charged evening will feature the “1812 Overture” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, an orchestral overture commemorating the unsuccessful French invasion into Russia, an event that marked 1812 as the major turning point of the Napoleonic Wars. The work is best known for the sequence of barrel drum cannon fire.

The performance will also include excerpts from the “Firebird Suite,” a 1910 ballet by Igor Stravinsky based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name; and Reinhold Gliere’s “Russian Sailors Dance” from his ballet “The Red Poppy” will also be presented. Audiences will also be captivated by the SCSO’s performance of the “Russian Easter Overture,” considered to be one of the exceptionally brilliant orchestral works by the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The work premiered in St. Petersburg in 1888 and was dedicated to members of “The Mighty Handful,” an infamous circle of Russian composers.

Performances will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Stockbridge First United Methodist Church and on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students 12 years and older, $5 for children ages 6-12 and children 6 years old and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information about the SCSO and the 2007-2008 season repertoire visit www.scsymphony.org or call 770-506-0785.

Founded in 1991, the Southern Crescent Symphony Orchestra is a 70-member ensemble offering a wide variety of classical and pops concerts in the Southern Crescent area of Metro Atlanta. Members of the orchestra include professional musicians, music educators, amateur musicians and students. Concerts during the orchestra's first 16 seasons have included performances of many of the masterworks of music and collaborations with renowned artists and ensembles from the metro area. The SCSO is conducted by Dr. Richard Bell and assistant conductors Ed Davis and Carl Rieke.

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