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New Orchestra of Washington Marks with End of the War to End All Wars Program to commemorate this solemn occasion features diverse array of music, from to Ravel

WASHINGTON, DC (Oct. 9, 2018)— On Saturday, November 10, 2018, the New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) will present a special program that commemorates the end of , one hundred years later, at the Church of the Epiphany (1317 G St., NW) at 5pm in collaboration with the Washington Master Chorale. The performance entitled, End of the War to End All Wars, features a diverse range of works from well-known composers, including Ravel and Holst, to modern rock band, Radiohead. The evening also features a world premiere work by American composer Joseph Turrin, co-commissioned by the New Orchestra of Washington, Washington Master Chorale and Musica Viva NY.

NOW Artistic Director, Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, first dreamed up the idea for the program several years ago. He says, “I’ve always studied war. I do not like it, but find it fascinating. World War I was such a significant event that determined the fate of the 20th century and the direction of our present day. This program is an opportunity to explore those ideas - why and how war happens and how we can find peace in the current global and political climate.”

The program will begin with “Harry Patch (in Memory of)”, originally composed by the English alternative rock band, Radiohead, in memory of the last surviving World War I veteran of the same name. The version for this program is arranged by Shawn Bartels, who will appear as tenor solo for the program, and NOW’s principal oboist, Stephen Key. The lyrics of the song are taken from a televised interview with Patch about the horrors of war.

The second piece in the program is Maurice Ravel’s (1875-1937), “Le Tombeau de Couperin,” (1917) also arranged by Key. Each movement of the piece represents a friend Ravel lost in the war. The piece was originally criticized for being too cheerful in content. Ravel responded by saying that, “The dead are sad enough, in their eternal silence.”

The third piece in the performance is Gustav Holst’s (1874-1934), “Ode to Death,” arranged again by Key. This spacious and otherworldly cantata, rarely performed outside the UK, is based on a Walt Whitman poem originally inspired by the death of Abraham Lincoln. Holst had hoped to participate in the war himself but was barred for medical reasons. The cantata is dedicated to friends of the composer who died in the war.

After an intermission, the program will come to a close with the world premiere of American composer Joseph Turrin’s (b. 1947) “And Crimson Roses Once Again Be Fair,” a 40-minute-long piece commissioned specifically for the evening. This moving work, written for choir and chamber orchestra and based on texts by WWI poets, is abundantly rich in musical variety and content.

There will be a second performance of End of the War to End All Wars the next evening, November 11th, at All Souls Church in NYC. More information and ticket purchases for the Washington premiere can be found online at: https://www.neworchestraofwashington.org/orchestra-concerts-final/

### New Orchestra of Washington (NOW), founded in 2012, is a one-of-a-kind, genre-bending ensemble, providing a successful framework for chamber and orchestra music in the 21st century. NOW’s mission is to make music relevant to new generations of audiences through virtuosic performances that combine a range of genres with fresh interpretations of classic works. As a small chamber orchestra with flexible instrumentation, NOW elevates every member to his or her highest potential creating a unique and engaging live experience. https://www.neworchestraofwashington.org/