The Prince George Symphony Orchestra will be performing a Grammy award-winning string quartet to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day this weekend.
It will be the main piece on the group’s upcoming Chamber Social concert, Different Trains.
The performance on Sunday, Jan. 29, will be attended by several members of the Prince George Jewish community, who will share some of their family experiences and information about the history of the Jewish community in northern BC.
"On behalf of the Prince George Community Arts Council, and as a member of the Prince George Jewish Community, I am tremendously grateful to the Prince George Symphony Orchestra for presenting Different Trains at its upcoming chamber social concert." says Eli Klasner, Executive Director of the CAC.
"Performing this landmark composition is such a meaningful and unique way of commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and not only helps to create awareness of this day, but also is an impressive addition to the already high-calibre and versatile repertoire performed by our beloved PGSO."
Different Trains is a string quartet with pre-recorded tape by noted American Jewish composer Steve Reich. The piece won the 1989 grammy award for Best Contemporary Composition.
“The idea for the piece came from my childhood,” says Reich in his notes to the score.
“When I was one year old my parents separated. My mother moved to Los Angeles and my father stayed in New York. Since they arranged divided custody, I travelled back and forth by train frequently between New York and Los Angeles from 1939 to 1942 accompanied by my governess. While the trips were exciting and romantic at the time I now look back and think that, if I had been in Europe during this period, as a Jew I would have had to ride very different trains. With this in mind I wanted to make a piece that would accurately reflect the whole situation.”
Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on Jan. 27 each year, marking the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp by Allied forces.
Different Trains – PGSO’s Chamber Social will take place at Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Hart Community Centre and Tickets and more information is available at PGSO.com or at 250-562-0800
