Music lovers thrilled at Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra’s first concert of the season

INCLUDES FULL CONCERT VIDEO | Here, you can read about this great outer East Portland orchestra’s opening concert, see photos – and see it online. And, learn about their free Christmas Concert, coming up on December 8 …

In the Hazelwood neighborhood, a sizeable audience is seated at the Sunny Seventh-day Adventist Church, awaiting the fall Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra concert to begin.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

The Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra (SSO) opened their 2024-25 season on October 20, to the delight of fine music aficionados.

Continuing a new tradition started last season by SSO Music Director and Conductor, Jonathan DeBruyn – an hour before the concert, he gave a talk, with a question-and-answer session, about the afternoon’s musical selections.

SSO Music Director and Conductor, Jonathan DeBruyn begins his “concert talk” about the afternoon’s selections.

In this case, DeBruyn explored the theme of the concert, “From Darkness to Light”.

He observed that the first selection, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, Opus 62 – is “in the fateful key of C minor”, representing Coriolanus’ war-like tendencies – he’s about to invade Rome; while the more tender E-flat major theme represents the pleadings of his mother to desist.

Next, DeBruyn spoke about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini: Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, Op. 32. “It’s a symphonic poem by the composer. This is a symphonic interpretation of the tragic tale of Francesca da Rimini, a beautiful woman immortalized in Dante’s Divine Comedy.”

At the piano, Jonathan DeBruyn plays musical passages that illustrate a point about how music changes keys.

Then, after the intermission, the SSO would perform the Symphony No. 5 in D major/D minor, Op. 107, by Felix Mendelssohn, about wich DeBruyn said. “Known as ‘the Reformation’, it was composed in 1830 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. This symphony was written for a full orchestra, and was Mendelssohn’s second extended symphony.”

Between his talk and the concert that followed, DeBruyn spoke with East Portland News while the orchestra was warming up and musicians were taking their places on stage.

The Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra begins their concert, without most of the brass section – those instruments not being called for in their first selection.

“I’m really happy with the progress of this orchestra,” DeBruyn remarked. “For example, our playing of Francesca da Rimini demonstrates that we are ably playing this difficult music – and the orchestra is sounding better than ever.

Jonathan DeBruyn conducts the orchestra.

“We’re getting to the point where, as musicians, we understand each other, and where we’re coalescing into an even more professional musical organization.

“I’ve had lots of people tell me the orchestra sounding better than ever,” said DeBruyn. “And, I’ve had so many people – both audience members and our musicians – tell me that they appreciate the repertoire we’re now offering.”

Now, watch and listen to this professionally-produced video with stereo sound, presented by the video crew at the Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church:

The full orchestra plays Tchaikovskys’ Francesca da Rimini: Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, Op. 32.

December 8: Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert
Their season of FREE live music continues on Sunday afternoon, December 8, with an earlier start time – Conductor DeBruyn’s ‘Pre-concert Talk’ begins at 2 p.m. – that’s where he chats about the music and the composers, gives ‘behind the scenes’ notes, and answers questions.

Then, at 3 p.m., DeBruyn will conduct this great orchestra in their Christmas Concert.

You’ll here these compositions being played live:

A Holiday Hoedown
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite
Join in a Christmas Sing-Along
Hear the local premier Portland composer Randall DeBruyn’s Emmanuel Symphony.

It’s taking place at the Sunnyside Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 10501 SE Market Street, 97216. For more information, and, find a link to their live stream of the concert, see their website: CLICK HERE.

Comments are closed.