The New Westminster Symphony Orchestra will be performing its first concert in more than two years on Sunday, April 30th at 2PM in our new home, Queens United Church at 629 Queens Avenue. We’re entitling this concert “I Must Go Down to the Sea Again” as the theme is one of sea voyages. The highlight of the concert will be Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic suite Scheherazade based on the pictures from the Arabian Nights. It consists of four related movements that form a united theme of fantasy narratives from the Orient. While not specified in the titles of the movements they are inspired by the voyages of Sinbad. There will be an orchestral concert overture by Felix Mendelssohn entitled Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage that is inspired by a pair of poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. While the two poems may sound synonymous, in the days before steam a totally calm sea was cause for alarm. It is only when the wind at last rises that the ship continue on its journey. The final selection will be the inaugural performance of a composition by Brad Howland, the principal trombonist with the Victoria Symphony, entitled Seagulls Rising. It features some novel special effects that will truly have you thinking that it’s time to “follow the birds to Vancouver Island’ as in the promotions of BC Ferries from the past. There is plenty of free parking on Queens Avenue and other side streets. The entrance to Queens United is on 6th Street. Admission is by your generous donation. We look forward to seeing all our supporters at our new home.