As always, the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, Int’l. (ATG) will have its Festival Orchestra this coming July 19-23, 2022 in Lisle, IL (a suburb of Chicago). Joan Cochran Sommers will also be its conductor once again and has selected a program of six pieces which will showcase the accordion in a very fine light. The program will be just a bit longer than normal because this Festival is celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the ATG.

And since it is celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the ATG, it was suggested that the Festival Orchestra should have 80 players. Normally, this orchestra could not have that many since hotel ballrooms rarely have room for that many musicians, but this year all the ATG Festival Concerts will be presented in either the Armerding Center for Music and the Arts Concert Hall, seating 648, on Friday and Saturday, or in the Barrows Auditorium, seating 459, on Thursday on the campus of Wheaton College which is located very close to the Festival Headquarters Hyatt Lisle Hotel in Lisle.

The repertoire selected is:
1. Theme from Lawrence of Arabia (Maurice Jarre)
2. Paragon March (Anthony Galla-Rini)
3. Finlandia Tone Poem, Op. 26, No. 7 (Sibelius)
4. Epilogue from The Comedians (Kabalevsky)
5. The Lord of the Dance (Ronan Padraig Hardiman)
6. Sound of Music Medley (Rodgers & Hammerstein)

Many players have signed up by paying $25 for the Save a Seat plan. We will begin sending all the music out in March to those who have had ATG Save a Seat for them. There is still room for you! This is going to be an especially exciting concert, so if you want to play in the orchestra, just contact joansommers@kc.rr.com and she will send you the form to fill out. You will be welcome to join this special 80 member orchestra!