MUSIC: Orpheus Gears Up For Mechanics Hall Homecoming - May 9th

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team

Folk rock band Orpheus returns to its Worcester roots on May 9th with a homecoming performance at Mechanics Hall. Orpheus: The Homecoming will feature the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra Ensemble.

Four-decade absence

The band exploded out of the Congress Alley movement in Worcester in the late 60s, but hasn’t been back to Worcester in nearly four decades.

Orpheus front-man Bruce Arnold was talking with Symply Fargone Production’s Glen Gardner about his original intent to perform the Orpheus catalogue as true to the original recordings as possible. When Bruce mentioned to Glen that he would like to perhaps be backed by full orchestration at the Worcester homecoming show, Gardner suggested the possibility of somehow involving the Worcester-based Massachusetts Symphony.

“When Bruce talked about making this Worcester show something special, we talked about reproducing the recorded sound of Orpheus on stage at acoustically perfect Mechanics Hall,” Gardner said. “Bruce mentioned that Orpheus member Howie Hersh was scoring the original sounds for symphony. I suggested Bruce give Paul Levenson at the Massachusetts Symphony a call and the rest is history.”

Founded in 1976, for more than a third of a century the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra has presented high-quality performances popular with the public.

The band has been busy rebuilding the original orchestral scores that can be heard behind the songs on the original album. Those scores are being sent to the ensemble charged with learning their parts and performing behind Orpheus on May 9^th.

Chart-climbers

The first Orpheus album peaked at #119 on the Billboard Albums chart in May 1968. The single "Can't Find The Time" ultimately peaked at #80 on the "Hot 100" in 1969. Written by Arnold, at least seven cover versions of the song exist. These include one by Rose Colored Glass, which peaked at #54 in 1971, and a version by Hootie & the Blowfish which was featured in the 2000 Jim Carrey movie Me, Myself and Irene.

The band playing the Worcester Homecoming show is the same group that did most of the studio work.

Orpheus Again

After 35 years a new Bruce Arnold CD Orpheus Again was released in February 2010 on Arnold's BAM! label. It included 10 new songs plus a contemporary re-make of "Can't Find the Time." Two more bonus songs were also available by directly contacting Bruce Arnold Music. Requests for the CD overwhelmed the small company and they began seeking an international production and distribution deal. The new CD is now available worldwide at www.cdbaby.com/cd/brucea.

Tickets for Orpheus: The Homecoming, featuring the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra Ensemble are available at www.symplyfargone.com.

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