The Orpheum morphed into a foot-stomping, hand clapping, key-rattling sound machine at the most recent VSO Kids’ Koncert.  Chris McKhool and his Sultans of String joined the VSO for an unforgettable performance.  While I pride myself on knowing a bit about music, I always check my opinions against my hubby…a high school band/choir teacher.  Considering the guy couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, I knew I was entirely correct; we attended one fantastic performance.

However, even more important than the thoughts of the adults is that of the kids.  Our 2 boys (now aged 4 & 6 years) were bouncing in their seats, clapping their hands, and having a blast shouting out “FiddleFire” (at requested times).

VSO John Morris RussellThe concert started with just the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor John Morris Russell.  Mr Russell had the same level of energy of all the kids in the audience; I only dream of having that amount of energy.  The show started with a fun review of the various families of instruments.  While brief, the tour of the orchestra set the stage for both this performance and the remaining 4 performances in the Kids’ Koncert series.

At the half way point in the concert, Chris McKhool and the Sultans of String took to the stage.  Truly top notch performers!  There was a sound-balancing issue that made hearing the specific words of each song impossible to discern, the musicians’ prowess on their individual instruments shone through.  The Sultans of String engaged the young audience in every song.  The audience was so delighted with their performance an encore was requested and joyfully received.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Kids’ Koncert returns on November 30th.  Buy your tickets now, you won’t be disappointed.  The concept behind the Kids’ Koncerts is brilliant: expose young children to orchestral music in an environment that guarantees success.  The concerts are one hour in length, the audience is all families with young children (aged 5+) who understand that sometimes little ones forget to use their whispering-voices, and the musical content is kid-friendly.  Our boys eagerly look forward to the next Kids’ Koncert.  Hope to see you at the November 30th performance.