Claflin Hill Orchestra in the Blackstone River Valley

Claflin Hill Symphony Launches New Symphony Season with its Seventh Annual Fall Fling Gala Benefit

The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra will present the Seventh Annual Fall Fling Gala Benefit on Friday, October 12^th at the Milford Sheraton Regency Ballroom. The star-studded evening includes a full course dinner, dancing and a show featuring the renowned Frank Sinatra tribute artist Steve Marvin. The evening will be hosted by well known music radio host, Ron Della Chiesa. Marvin – whose renditions of the Frank Sinatra songbook have received accolades throughout New England – will be performing with The Jerry Seeco Band joined by the strings of the Claflin Hill Symphony. The doors open at 6:30 PM for cocktail hour, followed by a dinner serving at 7:30 PM, and the show will begin at 8:00 PM. The show will be followed by dancing. There will be a modest raffle and silent auction ongoing throughout the evening. Tickets, which are $50 per person, are on sale now, and can be obtained by calling the CHSO office at 508-478-5924.

The Annual Fall Fling is Claflin Hill’s major fundraising event of the season, and heralds the opening of the symphony season, which begins on Sunday, October 28^th with the first Claflin Hill Symphony Family Concert. All proceeds benefit the Claflin Hill Symphony Annual Fund.

“The Fall Fling is our annual celebration of the beginning of another season of world class symphony concerts,” said Paul Surapine, Executive and Artistic Director of Claflin Hill. “It is one of our only major fundraising events during the course of the season, but more than that, it is a “coming out party” for another great year of community concerts. We have an entire slate of terrific programming on tap for this season, including two new “Family Symphony Concerts on Sunday afternoons at Milford Town Hall – an outgrowth of our Adventures in Listening series that has long been a tradition at Claflin Hill. We have a lot to look forward to this season, and the excitement is building as we near the launch of the concerts – preceded by our Fall Fling. We are very excited and honored by the presence of Ron Della Chiesa, known as “the voice of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,” as our Special Guest Host for this year’s Gala, who brings his world-renowned expertise on the music of Frank Sinatra to enhance this event and make the symphony kick off even more stellar and unique. ”

Ron Della Chiesa is well known throughout America as a radio and television personality, hosting on air performances at WGBH in Boston – where he presents the Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcasts on Friday afternoons, and Sunday afternoon broadcasts of the BSO from Tanglewood. He is also the “on-air” host for the Boston Lyric Opera live broadcasts from the Schubert Theatre.

Della Chiesa’s expertise in classical and operatic performances is matched by his affinity for American pop music – since 1996, he has presented his popular “Strictly Sinatra” program every Saturday evening on WPLM, and “MusicAmerica” on Sundays.

A frequent visitor to the Milford area, Della Chiesa and his Joyce reside in Boston, and have been supporters and attendees of Claflin Hill Symphony events dating back to 2000.

Steve Marvin has gathered great acclaim for his interpretations of the music of Frank Sinatra, Described by the Jazz Messenger (June 1994) as "an unusually talented and versatile jazz vocalist from Revere, MA." Steve is comfortable performing Jazz, Blues and Cabaret. Performing the Great American Songbook, Steve sings with the style and soul of Frank Sinatra, the Jazz feel of Jon Hendricks and the balladry of a Mel Torme.” Marvin will be performing with The Jerry Seeco Band, joined by musicians from the Claflin Hill Symphony string section. They will be performing arrangements of Sinatra’s music especially prepared for Marvin by Jerry Seeco.

Tickets can be obtained by calling Claflin Hill at 508-478-5924. Tickets are $50 per person, and guests will be seated at tables of ten. There will be no tickets sold at the door. For more information about the Claflin Hill Symphony season, visit www.claflinhill.org.

Claflin Hill Symphony Celebrates Ten Years of Great Music for Central Massachusetts

Claflin Hill has been bringing great music to Central Massachusetts since its founding in August of 1997.

“I didn’t start out to found a nonprofit,” Paul Surapine, executive and artistic director said. “I’m a clarinetist. I studied with Kalmen Opperman, who also taught Richard Stoltzman. My intention was to create performance opportunities in this region for both myself and my musician friends and build a new audience for great music in my own community.”

And that’s how the whole thing got started. Surapine attended the dedication of The Milford Musicians’ Pavilion in 1992. At that time, The Milford Concert Band, a venerable professional ensemble which dates back to 1946, was a mainstay at the summer concerts. Local musicians such as the original manager of the band, "Misty' Guerino Santacroce, trumpeter Jacob Heitin and Music Director Joseph Oneschuk fulfilled their passion for performance and life through playing music with this band. But membership and audience was dwindling. Surapine realized an opportunity to revitalize the group while providing local, and sometimes national, businesses with exposure through sponsorship. Companies such at The Milford National Bank and Trust, Milford Federal Savings & Loan, International Power America and Benjamin Moore & Company were some of the first sponsors and they remain sponsors today.

“The loyalty of our business partners is remarkable,” Surapine said. “They know how hard we work to recognize them through our printed materials and in particular our weekly e-mail blasts.” Currently, Claflin Hill has a mailing list over 2,000, and all of these are people who asked to be sent reminders about concerts.

A pinnacle of the organization is The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra. Giving its first performance in May of 2000, the ensemble has played full seasons of four and five concerts each year since. Milestones include reintroducing opera with in concert performances of Carmen, Tosca and a festival sampling of Verdi’s works hosted by The Honorable Francis Larkin and his dear friend Ron Della Chiesa. In 2003, The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra was also the third orchestra ever to perform Peter Boyer’s Grammy nominated Ellis Island: The Dream of America. “We strive to surpass each previous year with something new and different. But we always seek to entertain while educating the audience.” To this end, Claflin Hill collaborates with other local cultural nonprofits. For the past three years, Surapine has worked with The MetroWest Youth Symphony Orchestra (www.metyso.org) as their musical director and conductor. The auditioned ensemble of high school age students rehearses on Sunday afternoon in Framingham. Grants from The Bank of America Foundation as well as TD Banknorth support programs that provide free tickets to music students and their families as well as mentors from the CHSO to lead workshops.

This fall, Claflin Hill expands toward Worcester in collaboration with Apple Tree Arts in Grafton. “Apple Tree Arts is a great music school that was looking to expand by offering private lessons to older more accomplished students in all instruments families.” To kick off this partnership, The Claflin Hill Symphony Summer Winds will perform a concert on Wednesday, August 15 on the Grafton Town Common at 7 p.m.

The last show of the 2007 Family Night at the Bandstand series is a perennial favorite—HELP! Beatles Tribute Band.

Family Night at the Bandstand at Milford Town Park

Aug. 14^th “The Claflin Hill Symphony Summer Winds — “Music of Disney!”

* “Catch the Beat !” Story Time: during intermission— Bantam at the Opera!

Aug. 21^st Season Finale — “Beatles Night” with HELP! “Need we say more?!”
- Sponsored by National City Mortgage

The Claflin Hill Symphony Summer Winds announces a full schedule of Concerts On The Road in local community parks and bandstands.

§ August 12^th: Town Common, Holden, 6 p.m.

§ August 13^th: Choate Park, Medway, sponsored by Medway Cooperative Bank

§ August 15^th: Town Common, Grafton, 7 p.m. in collaboration with Apple Tree Arts

For more information on Claflin Hill, Family Night at the Bandstand, and directions to all concert locations, please visit the web site: www.claflinhill.org or call 508-478-5924.

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