“Who needs the arts? We need them. All!†Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Stanton’s is pleased to offer a brand new piece for String Orchestra and Narrator that was premiered the 2009 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Written by Russell Nagy, who teaches at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with narration written by his brother, Joel Nagy, it was commissioned by the Hilliard Davidson High School Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Mark Sholl. Entitled Cynosure, which means “one that serves to direct or guide,” it was written with the intention that it will be a clarion voice in defense of arts education.
The Grade 4 composition is based on a thoroughly American theme with a series of variations, each one introduced by the narrator, highlighting the branches of the Arts – Music, Visual Arts (painting and sculpting), Dance and Dramatic Arts (theater). Ranging from Neo-Baroque (Music) to patiently canonic (Visual Arts) to an effervescent scherzo (Dance) to music almost Shakespearian in nature (Theater) it finally restates the original theme while the narrator calls the question: “Who needs the arts? We need them. All!”
It’s the perfect vehicle for advocating Arts in the School and an ideal selection for Spring Concerts!