Local high school string quartets help settle an old score

ITHACA, N.Y. - Oct. 31, 2017 - PRLog -- When the touring show Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown comes to the State Theatre of Ithaca on Friday, December 1, two local high school string quartets will have the privilege of joining the professional musicians on stage to add some orchestral texture to the evening.

The show pits Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance. Each band has recruited their own local high school string quartet to help push their side to victory. The Ithaca High String Quartet will perform with Abbey Road and the New Roots Charter Quartet will join Satisfaction.

Here's the rundown:

The show:  The two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time face off in Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown. Taking the side of the Fab Four is Abbey Road, one of the nation's top Beatles tribute bands. With brilliant musicianship and authentic costumes and gear, Abbey Road plays beloved songs spanning the Beatles' career. They engage in a "showdown" of the hits with Stones tribute band Satisfaction - The International Rolling Stones Show, who offer a faithful rendition of the music and style of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the bad boys of the British Invasion. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the Los Angeles Times at one point declaring: "this is the most unique tribute show in decades." The Ithaca show is part of a 125 city tour of the U.S., Canada and Australia.

The string quartets: IHS seniors Shuah Jang, Ana Luisa McCullough, Nisha Sweet and Owen Crane will join Abbey Road for the songs "Eleanor Rigby," "Yesterday," "A Day in the Life," "Hello Goodbye," and "Hey Jude."

All quartet members play with the IHS Chamber Orchestra and have performed with prestigious area ensembles, including the Ithaca Talent Education (ITE), the Tompkins County Youth Orchestra (TCYO), and the New York Area All-State Orchestra.

NRCS senior Linus Berggren, sophomore Rowan Hawk and freshmen Fenya Bartman and Sophia Bosworth-Viscuso will perform with Satisfaction for the songs "As Tears Go By," and "Ruby Tuesday."

NRCS String Quartet members perform with the school's string ensemble and the New Roots Rock Band, a group with horns, strings and electric guitars. Members also play with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes Junior Strings Ensemble, ITE and the Ithaca College Summer Music Academy.

How the "Beatles" and "Stones" connection was started: The producers of Beatles vs. Stones approached IHS Orchestra Director Bill Makin and NRCS Music Director David Ferreira looking for two talented ensembles which could hold their own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show commonly hires local quartets to augment the production while on tour.

The quartet's Beatles or Stones fans: McCullough, Crane and Sweet are Beatles fans.

"The Beatles were so iconic," said McCullough. "They created a new sound and type of music which hadn't been heard before. Their music is complex but easy to listen to."

"My favorite Beatles song is "Yesterday" and I'm excited that we get to perform this song at the Beatles vs. Stones show," said Crane.

"I remember as a small child seeing the "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" movie and falling in love with the song "Twist and Shout," said Sweet.

Quartet and band for hire: The NRCS Rock band performs at community events. They may be contacted through David Ferreira at (315) 982-2172 or dferreira@newrootsschool.org. (mailto:dferreira@newrootsschool.org)

Ithaca High's String Quartet also performs at community events and may be hired by reaching Bill Makin at bill.makin@icsd.k12.ny.us. (mailto:bill.makin@icsd.k12.ny.us)

The details: Two of the greatest bands of all time face off in a high-energy, adrenaline-pumping musical showdown. The Fab Four, represented by tribute band Abbey Road will engage in a barrage of hits against premier Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction."Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown" performs at the the State Theatre of Ithaca on Friday, December 1 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $26-$55 and may be purchased online at www.stateofithaca.org, by phone at 607-277-8283 (tel:+13174562564) or at the Theatre Box Office. The Box Office is open Wednesday - Friday from noon - 5:00 pm. The show is appropriate for all ages.