WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (October 16, 2019) – The Winston-Salem Symphony presents North Carolina-based American folk music band Hiss Golden Messenger as part of the Symphony Unbound series. Established in 2007 in Durham by singer-songwriter M.C. Taylor, Hiss Golden Messenger will perform with members of the Winston-Salem Symphony on Saturday, November 2 at 8 p.m. at Winston-Salem’s hottest music venue, the Ramkat, which is located at 170 West 9th Street.
A small chamber ensemble comprised of Winston-Salem Symphony musicians will begin with Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, a story about a deal with the devil based on Russian folklore. Afterwards, the musicians will join the audience for a drink while Hiss Golden Messenger takes the stage. The evening will end with an unforgettable musical collaboration between Symphony musicians and Hiss Golden Messenger featuring arrangements by D. J. Sparr.
The new Symphony Unbound concert series pairs traditional, “classical” music with other genres, taking the art form out of the concert hall and into unexpected venues throughout the community. Hiss Golden Messenger is the third in the Symphony Unbound series and follows on the heels of Hank, Pattie & The Current and the sold-out Mandolin Orange concert.
Hiss Golden Messenger is a strong advocate for public education, as demonstrated by the track “I Need a Teacher” on the new hit record Terms of Surrender and the donation of tour proceeds to the Durham Public Schools Foundation. As long-time partners of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the Winston-Salem Symphony knows how hard public school educators work in our community. To help show our appreciation, the Symphony is offering $10.00 general admission tickets for the Symphony Unbound concert with Hiss Golden Messenger to all WS/FCS teachers and administrators. Just use the discount code INEEDATEACHER at checkout or call the box office and provide your school email address.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind concert experience, which will bring live orchestral music and rising stars together for an innovative concert experience that breaks free from the concert hall and the norms of classical music. Tickets begin at $25 and are available at wssymphony.org/event/hiss/ or through the Symphony Box Office at 336.464.0145.
Hiss Golden Messenger calls up a wide spectrum of American vernacular music—from Archie Brownlee to the Staple Singers, and from singer-songwriters Van Morrison to Townes Van Zandt. After relocating from California to North Carolina, Taylor began to record material under the name Hiss Golden Messenger. Though his initial recordings featured only his voice and guitar recorded to a cheap cassette recorder, recent Hiss albums have incorporated horns, strings, and choirs. A review in The New Yorker stated: “(Taylor’s) songs are smart and complex enough to betray a bigger and more insane question: What makes a person happy?”
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
The Winston-Salem Symphony, one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, begins its 73rd season in October 2019. The 2019–20 season will be Timothy Redmond’s inaugural season as Music Director and will include Classics Series concerts featuring renowned guest artists such as Béla Fleck, Rachel Barton Pine, and more. In addition, the season will include a Pops series featuring the Indigo Girls on stage with the Symphony as well as the music of John Williams and a tribute to Tom Petty. A Carolina Christmas returns with special guest artists with North Carolina roots including Laurelyn Dossett. The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah returns along with the Concert for Community featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians, four youth orchestra ensembles, and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs, including the P.L.A.Y. (Piedmont Learning Academy for Youth) Music program providing, primarily to under-served youth, instrumental music instruction and more. The Symphony is supported by Season Presenting Sponsors BB&T and Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; Redmond’s Inaugural Season Sponsor Mrs. Charles M. Howell; Symphony Unbound Sponsors Chris and Mike Morykwas; as well as generous funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and other dedicated sponsors. For more information, visit wssymphony.org.
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