Plymouth Symphony Releases First Commercial CD

PLYMOUTH, MI, OCTOBER 28, 2008: The Plymouth Symphony [Now the Michigan Philharmonic] announces the release of its first commercially recorded and produced children's CD on November 1, 2008. Magical Tunes & Marvelous Tales debuts The Studio Orchestra of the PCSS, under the direction of Nan Harrison Washburn. Presented are both narrated and un-narrated works inspired by such well-loved children's classics as Jack & the Beanstalk, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Paddle to the Sea, and Ferdinand the Bull. A collaboration with Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI, the CD was recorded, engineered and mastered by the staff and students of the Recording Technology Program, and the cover/case was designed by students and staff of the Computer Graphics Technology Department.

Magical Tunes & Marvelous Tales features works by living American composers who reflect a multicultural diversity and a wide range of musical styles. Although the CD is geared to young listeners, the music is not "made easy," offering more than enough breadth and complexity for adult ears. This recording is guaranteed to set the imagination on fire!

Composers & Works

Janika Vandervelde (b. 1956)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1984)
narrated by Sandra Schlechter

Chen Yi (b.1953)
Three Chinese Folk Songs (1994)

Andre Myers (b.1973)
Paddle to the Sea (2007)
narrated by Andre Myers

Alice Gomez (b.1960)
Habanera de Ferdinand and El Piquete de Abeja (1997)
(inspired by Ferdinand the Bull)

Alexis Alrich (b.1958)
Island of the Blue Dolphins (1996)
narrated by Celeste Headlee

Traditional Austrian Folk Songs
The Instruments' Song
arranged by Nan H. Washburn
featuring Livonia Youth Chorale, Dearborn Middle School Honors Choir, and Dearborn 4th & 5th Grade Honors Choir

For information on purchasing
Magical Tunes & Marvelous Tales
Call (734) 451-2112