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Community Corner

Treat Yourself (and Your Valentine) to an Afternoon With the Westfield Symphony

Concert begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17

With the day traditionally set aside to celebrate love less than two weeks away, you might want to skip the heart-shaped box of chocolates (nothing against the candy industry, but does anyone really need more calories?) and treat yourself and a loved one to what undoubtedly will be a most enjoyable afternoon concert.  

'The Perfect Valentine - A Night at the Movies' will be performed by the Westfield Symphony Orchestra Sunday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield. The performance will span seven decades of memorable music with samples from the different film genres encompassing romance, epics, chillers and thrillers.  

To whet your appetite without spoiling the performance, you will be treated to music from “Gone with the Wind,” “West Side Story,” “Star Wars,” and “Jaws” just to name a few.

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As the charismatic Maestro David Wroe lifts his baton, your spirits will likewise soar upward while he conducts over 50 members of this orchestra as they stroll down memory lane paying tribute to Hollywood's greatest movie themes. Wroe’s energy and enthusiasm is so contagious and the musicians so talented that you could very well find yourself leaving the performance humming a favorite tune you just heard or replaying it in your head for the next few days.

As someone who was totally enchanted after my first encounter with the Westfield Symphony at their  I found myself happily remembering the beautifully-performed selections I enjoyed that evening many days later.

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While I can’t guarantee that attending this performance will lower your blood pressure or your cholesterol (don’t I wish?), I do believe it will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart and, as the once-popular tune queried, “Who Could Ask for Anything More?"

The performance is made possible through the generous support of the NJ State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. For tickets ($25-$75, students $12) and information go to www.westfieldsymphony.org or call 908-232- 9400.

In honor of its 30th season, the WSO is hosting multiple fundraisers. To celebrate its 'Pearl Anniversary,' a string of faux pearls is on sale at Bittersweet Designs for $30, with all proceeds benefitting the WSO. Also, the symphony is asking patrons to save the date of Saturday, April 20, 2013 for its 30th Anniversary Gala is to be held at Plainfield Country Club. 

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