Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM 14 UCW JANUARY 19 - JANUARY 25, 2022 e Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra's unofficial home at St. John's Episcopal Church enhanc- es the intimacy of performances. e upcoming performance, "Too Hot to Handel," will be performed in its intimate setting at St. John's. "We will be performing at St. John's on Jan. 21, [the perfor- mance is] entitled 'Too Hot to Handel' featuring music by the great English-German baroque composer, George Frideric Handel, the composer of the famed Hallelujah Chorus," said Stefan Sanders, Music Director at the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. Sanders is a graduate of the Julliard School, the Uni- versity of Texas at Austin, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. Baroque Era music dates to ap- proximately 1600 to 1750. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg before settling in London in 1712. Handel's com- positions include 42 operas, 25 oratorios, more than 120 canta- tas, trios and duets, numerous arias, odes and serenatas, solo and trio sonatas, 18 concerti grossi and 12 organ concertos. e range of Handel's music in- spired the upcoming "Too Hot to Handel" concert. While he wrote a lot of sacred music, as well as purely instrumental music, and operas the latter two will be the focus in this program. e highlight of the program is Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks." Bronwen Pence will perform as the soprano soloist for "Too Hot to Handel." Pence has a bache- lor's degree in vocal performance specializing in opera from the University of Michigan. She has performed in numerous operas, operettas, musicals and choirs over the years. She currently is a member of Cumberland Choral Arts and a member of the Cross Creek Chorale. "I am looking forward to col- laborating with such an expres- sive and talented conductor and ensemble to present the fullest expression of these songs," Pence explained. "I have performed Handel's work before but only with Piano accompaniment. It will be a joy to perform them with full orchestra." Pence explained that the music in this program is for everyone. "Live music from talented performers is an uplifting experi- ence," said Pence. "You do not have to be an expert or a musi- cian to enjoy the works." Sanders also touts the ap- proachability of the program for all listeners and his favorite part of the program is the diversity in style and genres in which Handel wrote; the selections in the "Too Hot to Handel" program high- light this. "If someone has never been to see and hear the symphony, I encourage them to come with an open mind and an open heart," Sanders said. "Classical music is for everyone and does not require anything from the listener other than their attention. Anyone that enjoys live musical performances should attend this program." To purchase tickets, you may contact the symphony office at (910)433-4690 or you may pur- chase online through the website https://www.fayettevillesym- phony.org/. EVENTS ELAINA J. MARTIN, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Fayetteville Symphony presents 'Too Hot to Handel' by ELAINA J. MARTIN The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra performs at St. John's Episcopal Church.. (Image courtesy of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.) e annual fashion show from An Affair to Remember is back. e exhibition empowers local young women and female lead- ers in local businesses and non- profits. Kathy Jensen, the founder of An Affair to Remember, Pageant and Formal Wear, started the show eleven years ago. When commu- nity members approached her about a fashion show to highlight upcoming trends, she wanted to highlight women and girls in town instead. en, four years ago, the com- munity presented the idea of high- lighting local women in business and non-profits, "Women of Pow- er" in Fayetteville. ese "Women of Power" would not only receive recognition, but they would also be able to talk to and inspire young women in high school. "It is one of the things we do as a business that if you are in high school and you buy a dress from us, you have the opportunity to walk the runway because there were so many pretty girls in here, but they didn't think they were pretty," Jensen told Up & Coming Weekly. Jensen hopes that the women in her shows present as role models and help set the tone for girls find- ing their place in the world. "My generation was a man's world. And as a young girl, you would be blessed if your parents thought you could be more than a housewife," Jensen said. "Young women are trying to fig- ure it out. But when they see and meet women that are doing that, they look up to them and say, 'I can do that.'" "Women of Power" was met with such a success that a non-profit organization called "Women of Power" Society of N.C was born from the concept. Last year, they partnered with the Center for Eco- nomic Empowerment and Devel- opment (CEED) to host a "Women of Power" brunch, which sold out and was another resounding success. ey are now looking to create an endowment fund to help women access financing for their businesses, especially during this time of financial uncertainty with the pandemic. Organizers hope that the en- dowment, set up with CEED, will help upcoming businesswomen know how to access government grants. "Empower them by knowledge," Jensen explained. is year's fashion show is themed "I'm Unstoppable." is upcoming show will be the tenth fashion show that An Affair to Remember will be hosting; they took one year off. is year, there will be two different shows. e first show, "Unstoppable Little Ladies," will feature girls from the elementary and middle school age ranges. at show will start at 11:30 a.m. with doors opening at 11 a.m. e second show will feature high school-aged girls and the "Women of Power." ey will be wearing the latest prom and pageant dresses from top fashion designers. is show will start at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. Overall, there will be 100 models this year and 20 featured "Women of Power." Jensen says that this show is a perfect girls' night out - especially for mothers and daughters. "It's a great night out. It's a great thing," Jensen said. "We have mothers and daughters that come every year. We have a group of girls that dress alike and come every year. We have people that dress up." Tickets for the "Unstoppable Little Ladies" show are $20, and tickets for the "Women of Power" show range from $20 to $400. Both shows will occur at the Crown Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 22. Fashion show highlights 'Unstoppable' women by HANNAH LEE HANNAH LEE, Assistant Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200.