October 21, 2005 -

Ottawa (Canada) -- Be afraid! Be very afraid! Spooky sounds lurk in every corner of the concert hall, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra will bring them all to you at the first TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concerts of the season on Saturday, October 29 at 13:30 and 15:30 in the afternoon. “Trick or Treat to a Wicked Beat” is a witch’s cauldron of thrilling and chilling music led by Principal Youth and Family Conductor Boris Brott. The bilingual programme for kids 7 and up, and their grown-up friends includes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Night on Bald Mountain and music from Harry Potter. Dress up for Hallowe’en and come on down…. if you dare!

The concert ticket includes Pre-Concert Activities in the NAC Foyer organized by the NAC Orchestra Association 45 minutes prior to each concert, beginning at 12:45 for the first concert and 14:45 for the second concert. There will be an instrument petting zoo featuring the violin, French horn and bassoon, a make-your-own-wand crafts corner, free glow sticks for the children to use during the concert, a Hallowe’en display, and an apple giveaway to head home with. Community partners include Saunders Farm (where Boris Brott will be doing a scary story reading on Friday, October 28), the Ottawa Public Library and the Ottawa Society of Magicians.

Again this season, concertgoers can purchase their own recorders in the NAC Foyer for the low cost of $5 thanks to St. John’s Music, and to register for family recorder clinics at $2 per person presented in partnership with St. John’s Music and Yamaha Canada.  Participants will prepare three recorder pieces that they can play along with the NAC Orchestra at each of the remaining concerts.

In addition to Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, and Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Disney’s Fantasia, music selections include Kozinsky’s Creaky Door Overture, excerpts from Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, the March to the Scaffold from Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique , Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries and “Harry’s Wondrous World” from John Williams’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

All TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concerts feature NACOtron presented in collaboration with Rogers Television. Five television cameras positioned on stage and in the hall capture live video images of the musicians while they are performing, and these images are projected onto a giant screen above the stage allowing the audience to watch the action in close-up.

The Ottawa Citizen is the media partner of the TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concerts.

Tickets for “Trick or Treat to a Wicked Beat” on Saturday, October 29 at 13:30 and 15:30, including Pre-Concert Activities, are $17.00 for children and $21.50 for adults (including GST and Facility Fee where applicable) and are on sale now at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Visit the National Arts Centre’s web site at www.nac-cna.ca.

DON’T FORGET TO DRESS UP FOR HALLOWE’EN!

New for 05-06: Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances.  To reserve your seats call 947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.  Subscriptions for the season are also still available by calling the Subscription Office at 613-947-7000, ext. 620.

Subscriptions for the four-concert TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concert series, including a special Family-of-Four pack, are also still available by calling the Subscription Office at 613-947-7000, ext. 620.

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For more information please contact:
Jane Morris, Marketing Officer,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
(613) 947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca