Theme of war and its toll infuses weekend concerts

Cello players Martha Reikow, left, Damon Coleman, right, members of the Toledo Symphony (TSO), prepare during a rehearsal Saturday, May 7, 2011, for an evening performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. The performance will also include the Cold War-themed political play, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour as part of the program, with actors taking the stage with the TSO.

In honor of Veteran's Day this week, several musical groups have built programs around war and its aftermath.

The Perrysburg Symphony Chorale and members of SonoNovo Chamber Orchestra will perform Music of Remembrance in concert at 7 p.m. Friday in Trinity Episcopal Church, 316 Adams St.

Wayne Anthony will conduct a program including the Bach Cantata No. 118, Brahms' Op. 82, Song of Lamentation (Nanie), and the Requiem by Czech composer Zdenek Lukas.

Tickets for the concert are $8-$10 at the door or reserved at 419-243-1231.

The Toledo Symphony will present its third Classics Series concerts -- Devil's Bargain -- at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Peristyle, a program anchored by a production of Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale (L'Histoire du Soldat) Parts I and II.

In the second collaboration between the Toledo Symphony and the Glacity Theatre Collaborative based at the University of Toledo, Cornel Gabara again has directed a fully staged version of the Faust legend. Michael Lang of the Toledo Ballet joined the team as choreographer.

The program will open with Beethoven's Overture to Egmont, and continue with the local premiere of Penderecki's Concerto Grosso for Three Celli and Orchestra. Standing out from the ensemble will be cellists Martha Reikow, Amy Chang, and Damon Coleman.

Principal conductor Stefan Sanderling will lead the performance.

Tickets are $20-$50 at 419-246-8000 or www.toledosymphony.com.

One week later on the Toledo Symphony schedule will be KeyBank Pops Concert 3, the return of Jim Brickman, the pianist and vocalist who has won widespread devotion from a diverse audience.

Look for Brickman and the symphony, led by resident conductor Jeffrey Pollock, at 8 p.m. Nov. 24 in the Stranahan Theater. The start of the Christmas season will get a lift with Goeller's Festival of Carols and Dragon's Jingle Bells Fantasie, by the symphony only, followed by Brickman and his pop and traditional stylings.

Tickets are $30-$70 at www.toledosymphony.com or 419-246-8000.

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It's a busy weekend at the University of Toledo, with several big ensemble concerts, beginning at 8 p.m. Friday when the symphony orchestra performs under the baton of Robert Mirakian. The venue is august Doermann Theater in University Hall, 2801 W. Bancroft St. Admission is free to the public.

The UT Community Chorus will offer its annual pre-Thanksgiving performance at 3 p.m. Sunday in First Unitarian Church, 3205 Glendale Ave. Stephen Hodge will conduct the program of works by Stanford, Mozart, Haydn, Viadana, Jerome Kern, and other composers, with accompanist Gladys Rudolph at the piano.

Joining the chorus will be the select ensemble Da Capo, also directed by Hodge. The concert is free to the public.

At 4 p.m. Sunday, pianist Robert Ballinger will present a free Faculty Artist Recital in the UT Center for Performing Arts Recital Hall. On the program will be Toccata in c minor by J.S. Bach, Five Dances from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, and Robert Schumann's Grand Sonata in F-sharp minor.

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Masterworks Chorale will open its series of holiday engagements with a free performance in the Great Gallery of the Toledo Museum of Art at 3 p.m. Sunday. The choir will join soprano Joan Layne and singers from the Toledo Opera, accompanied by Kevin Bylsma, in a program titled Paris de Manet and Hollywood Glamour, and inspired by the current special exhibitions.

For a Masterworks preview, attend the lighting ceremony of the Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo on Friday. The chorale is to sing around 6 p.m.

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More collegiate harmony will ring from Bowling Green State University, where the Men's Chorus and A Cappella Choir are to perform at 8 p.m. Friday in Kobacker Hall of the Moore Musical Arts Center. One night later, also at 8 p.m., the BGSU Women's Chorus and Collegiate Chorale will sing in Kobacker. Both events are free.

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If you feel like dancing, there's no better place to be than Westfield Franklin Park Mall at 3 p.m. Sunday for Toledo's share of the World Wide FlashMob: Dance for Kindness. The pinnacle of World Kindness Week will link this community with 25 cities in 12 countries, everyone dancing the same steps to the same music.

These events are meant to look spontaneous, although they seldom are. Indeed, the Toledo Ballet's Lang and dancers plus members of America's Pride will be in place to lead the action for flashing and its partner, the freeze mob. Participants will receive Act of Kindness cards with directions for a specific action to be taken.

For more information, visit www.lifevestinside.com

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The first of the season's Nutcracker productions is set for Thanksgiving weekend by Ballet Theatre of Toledo. The traditional tale will come alive to music by the BTT Orchestra conducted by Wayne Anthony in shows at 7 p.m. Nov. 24 and 2 p.m. Nov. 25 in the Valentine Theatre. Tickets can be ordered from Ballet Theatre of Toledo at 419-861-0895 or the Valentine box office, 419-242-2787.

Items for News of Music should be sent to svallongo@theblade.com at least two weeks ahead of the event.