Holidays = Olga Symphony Concerts

— from Artha Kass —

Friday & Saturday, November 29-30, 7:30 p.m., Orcas Center:

The Olga Symphony in their 2013 jammies. This year? Who knows.

The Olga Symphony returns to the Orcas Center stage for two nights of post-Thanksgiving revelry, Friday and Saturday November 29-30 at 7:30 pm. Kick off the holiday season with the festive and slightly irreverent edge of the Olga Symphony; in what has become a holiday tradition for many- full of fun and fabulous fashions, one-liners that hit and miss, and a toe-tapping all-around good time!

An old time string band and then some. Without the least amount of hesitation, The Olga Symphony has been known to strum, pluck, pound on, blow into, blow over, squeeze or shake a significant variety of instruments. Some of those instruments include: Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Fiddle (a.k.a. violin), Concertina, Flute, Slide Guitar, Piano, Bass, Whistle, Saw, Kazoo, Ukulele, and Nose Flute.

One of their most difficult tasks (besides trying to be serious once in a while) is to answer the question: “What kind of music do you guys play?” The type of music they play includes Old Time fiddle tunes, Celtic folk, old obscure ballads, swing tunes, everything from Jimmy Rodgers to Irving Berlin. Sometimes they will sing a little known song from an old movie, and occasionally they will perform an original tune. Someone said: “eclectic” is too specific a word to describe their music. With their sense of high fashion and low-brow humor, this ensemble has been delighting audiences on Orcas and neighboring communities for over 30 years.

As always, proceeds from the concerts will benefit the Orcas Center and other Orcas non-profits. Tickets for The Olga Symphony are still at the 1978 rate of only $5 and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon – 4 pm. For more information about Orcas Center 2013 season events, please visit www.orcascenter.org.