Pianist Cherith Alexander and her daughter Bridget, a violinist, will both be playing with the Regina Symphony Orchestra for a Christmas pops concert on Saturday, Dec. 14, as they play the soundtrack for the holiday movie classic, “Home Alone”.
The pops concert will be held at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina, starting at 7:30 p.m., and will be a showing of the Christmas movie, with the RSO playing the John Williams music track live.
The pair just received the score for the music, and Cherith noted that it is a very challenging score, which is not surprising as the Academy-award winning Williams wrote it. He is the composer also responsible for the soundtracks to Star Wars and and many of Steven Spielberg’s movies.
Cherith will be playing the keyboards, including the piano and celesta, in the RSO’s percussion section, while Bridget will be the 10th chair in the first violin section.
This will be Bridget’s first time to play with the Regina Symphony, although it isn’t her first time in an orchestra.
“They just asked if I would come and play for them, because they needed an expanded string section,” said Bridget, noting her work as a violinist was known to them so they didn’t ask for her to audition for this event.
“She intends to audition for the RSO next year, so this is a good way to get her feet wet,” said Cherith.
Bridget has been playing in the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra as the assistant concert master, and before that was a member of a junior orchestra. She also plays the piano and the viola, including playing the latter instrument as a member of the Sorisso String Quartet.
The mother and daughter pair have performed many times together, but this is first time they will both be part of the Regina Symphony Orchestra — and it may not be the last. Cherith said she plans on auditioning to be a pianist-keyboardist for the RSO, although she notes that the piano is not typically a regular part of RSO performances.
“There’s only a piano used a few times a year. It’s not that common,” she added. “It’s new for me. I like to challenge myself with new things, and at this stage of my life, I’m looking for new things to do in the music world.”
She noted she has a lot of musician friends who play with the RSO, “so it’s fun for me to have the chance to come and play with them.”
Cherith still teaches piano in Weyburn and has some students in Regina also through the University of Regina.
Bridget has played the violin since she was about three years old, and she began with Evie Alexander, playing with her for about three years before her mom began taking her to a teacher in Regina.
She said she is really enjoying some of the romantic period pieces she has been learning lately, by Spanish composer Lalo and Czardas.
The “Home Alone” movie event is close to being sold out, so people are advised to check on the RSO’s website to see if there are any tickets available.
