Polkas, Pretzels & Prost, the SSO helps you plan for Oktoberfest
Judith Yan sent the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra this video of her own watch party in a Hong Kong hotel room.
When the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra launched its musical live streaming tour around the world, Executive Director Mark Turner couldn’t have predicted the audience’s excitement.
“We started to get photos and videos of people watching from all over the place. From a living room in Hong Kong to a fondue party in Yorkton, people tuned in from the United States, all across Canada and in Europe for our concerts.”
“It was such a wake-up moment,” says Turner. “We started to get photos and videos of people watching from all over the place. From a living room in Hong Kong to a fondue party in Yorkton, people tuned in from the United States, all across Canada and in Europe for our concerts.”
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- Cozy by the campfire watching the SSO in Danielson Provincial Park. (submitted)
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- Chris Lindgren watched the SSO’s September show from the comfort of his living room. (submitted)
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- A French fondue party in Yorkton to celebrate the SSO’s Postcards from Paris show. (submitted)
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- Erin McVittie watched with her little ones the morning after the SSO’s September performance. (submitted)
Those impromptu watch parties were the inspiration for the SSO to connect even further with audiences for Oktoberfest this Saturday.
In the days leading up to the show, the SSO wants the public to get in on the fun with a tutorial on making your own Bavarian pretzels. Lager, ale or stout; the musicians will be getting in on the Oktoberfest fun by holding beer tasting tutorials on the SSO’s social media channels.
This concert will be full of all the oom-pah of the annual fall celebration. Inspired by the beer halls of Munich, the program will feature party staples like the Beer Barrel Polka, Clarinet Polka, and even Ein Prosit, the traditional toast to good health. Organizers hope people will raise their stein and sing along.
“When you think of a symphony concert, you get dressed up, you drive to the hall, there’s a whole ritual to it,” says Turner. “With our live stream, that ritual doesn’t matter as much. This is all about creating new accessibility to music and expanding our audience.”
This concert is designed to bring the party to the audience and even if you’ve never been to Oktoberfest, you can bring a little of Bavaria into your living room.
“It’s about the flavour of the region,” explains Turner. “How we can still celebrate together during this time of uncertainty and have a little fun.”
