McHenry County Youth Orchestra’s “Music in Time”

The McHenry County Youth Orchestra invites you to journey with them through history’s musical hits.

On Sunday, Feb. 27, the orchestra will present “Music in Time,” a performance putting together several hit classical pieces from different time periods. The performance will be at 4 p.m. at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Tickets are $18, $15 for students and senior citizens.

Orchestra Director Russell Vinick chose the theme and music to reflect some of history’s greatest music.

“Each piece represents a different period of music history and it’s like hearing the Grammy award winner of each time period,” Vinick said.

Pieces performed will include compositions by Mozart and the “Candide Overture” by Leonard Bernstein. The orchestra will also perform two pieces featured in the Disney movie “Fantasia.”

Vinick thinks the audience will enjoy this chance to experience music while also learning a little along the way.

“(The concert provides) a rare opportunity for the audience to hear music being represented from every time period, as well as an opportunity for the members of the orchestra to play music from each time period,” Vinick said.

“This also gives me the opportunity to teach (the orchestra) more about (history) in a practical, more of a hands-on way rather than just hearing about it.”

Vinick says during Saturday morning rehearsals he would often give the student performers handouts of background information on the different musical time periods.

The McHenry County Youth Orchestra was founded 31 years ago after some McHenry County schools cut string music programs for budgetary reasons.

“They have a string (music) program in Algonquin at Jacobs, and in the middle schools they have band but no orchestra,” youth orchestra Executive Director Cathy Ames said. “That always seems to happen when school districts are looking at their budget. The programs that seem to get cut first are music.”

The orchestra currently has about 110 musicians within its three different preforming groups — Intermezzo, Symphony and Prelude orchestras.

The Symphony and Intermezzo orchestras will be performing “Music in Time.”

Members range in age from 7 to 18 and come from Lake, McHenry and Kane counties, as well as a few members who come from Wisconsin. About a 100 musicians will be performing Sunday.

For tickets or details, visit mcmusic.org.

If you go

What: The McHenry County Youth Orchestra’s “Music in Time” concert featuring musical hits from different eras

When: 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27

Where: The Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake

Tickets: $15 for students and senior citizens, $18 for adults

Details: mcmusic.org